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MESSIAH UNIVERSITY FIELD HOCKEY CAMP

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10

Nov, 2021

Smith's Two Tallies Topple Stevens, Falcons Advance

GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah field hockey team topped visiting Stevens Institute of Technology, 3-0, in the NCAA First Round on Wednesday evening at Anderson Field. The Falcons used a pair of second-quarter goals from Ashlyn Smith as Jennie Young tallied her 11th goal of the season in the third quarter to push the Falcons past the Ducks.

With the win, Messiah improves to 17-2 overall, advancing in the NCAA Tournament to square-off with Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., Saturday afternoon.

Smith recorded her 10th and 11th goals of the season as Nicole Shank provided the assist on the first goal. Junior goalkeeper Catie Brubaker earned the victory in cage, recording three saves to blank the visiting Ducks.

The opening quarter of play proved to be scoreless between the two sides as the Falcons recorded a total of two shots. Messiah played stellar defense throughout the first quarter, not allowing a single shot by Stevens. Neither team earned a penalty corner opportunity as well, setting up a second period of play in which the Falcons took control.

Messiah recorded its first tally of the game just 2:45 into the second quarter, a re-directed shot by Smith that beat Stevens' goalkeeper Emily Franco. The goal came off a penalty corner, as Leah Bryner centered the ball at the top of the shooting circle to Shank. Shank ripped a low, powerful shot that Smith re-directed with her stick, giving the Falcons a 1-0 edge.

Smith doubled the Falcons' advantage with her second tally of the game with 7:43 remaining. The tally was Smith's 11th of the season, giving Messiah a 2-0 lead. The Falcons held on to their two-goal advantage heading into halftime, out-shooting the Ducks in the half, 4-1.

The third quarter was an action-packed period, as both sides earned penalty corner opportunities in the opening minutes. The Ducks came out and earned themselves a penalty corner just over a minute into the period, resulting in their first shot on goal that was saved by Brubaker. Stevens continued to press forward and place pressure on the Messiah defense. Trailing, 2-0, the Ducks nearly broke through to cut their deficit in half. At the 7:59 mark of the quarter, Stevens' Emily Smart had a great look at an open goal, but Myers denied Smart with her second defensive save of the season. The defensive play fueled the Falcons with momentum as Young went on to add her 11th goal of the season with 3:17 remaining in the third quarter, building the Messiah lead to a commanding 3-0.

Just two minutes prior to Young's tally, Lauren Seubert had a chance to score with a penalty stroke, but her effort was matched with a phenomenal diving save from Franco.

The Falcons continued to play strong defense in the fourth quarter, allowing just two shooting opportunities for the Ducks. Neither side recorded a goal in the final period of play as Messiah held on for the victory, 3-0.

Leah Bryner had a breakout game in the midfield for Messiah, facilitating the Falcons' offense as well adding timely defensive contributions. Despite not showing up on the score sheet, the first-year forward had an integral impact on the game.

What's Up Next
Messiah will face Babson College (20-1) on the road on Saturday (Nov. 13) in the NCAA Tournament. The Falcons, who have won 10-straight contests, will face a formidable foe as the Beavers have rattled off 16-straight victories since Sept. 19. Additionally, Messiah faced Babson in the Final Four back in 2016, as the Falcons prevailed by a score of 5-2 on their way to their first-ever National Championship.

Contact

Messiah University Field Hockey Camp
University Avenue, Suite 4501
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17055

Phone: 717-766-2511
Email: [email protected]

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MESSIAH UNIVERSITY FIELD HOCKEY CAMP

MESSIAH UNIVERSITY FIELD HOCKEY CAMP

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10

Nov, 2021

Smith's Two Tallies Topple Stevens, Falcons Advance

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