YORK, PA – The #2 Messiah College Falcons used a big first half to down the York College Spartans 4-1 in non-conference field hockey action in York on Friday night. The Falcons have won 23 of their last 24 games, losing only in the national championship game last November.

Match #1

Final Score: #2 Messiah 4 – York 1

Records: York 0-1, Messiah 1-0

Shots: York 5, Messiah 18

Shots on Goal: York 1, Messiah 8

Penalty Corners: York 3, Messiah 9

How It Happened:

• The Falcons jumped on the Spartans early. Not quite as early as last year when the Falcons scored a mere 27 seconds into the season opener in Grantham. This time the opening salvo came 2:05 into the game off the first penalty corner of the season. Casie Stief hit a pass to the top of the circle where Megan Wetzel stopped the ball and fired a hard one-timer into the goal for the 1-0 Falcon lead.

• Messiah made it 2-0 in the 14^th minute as Hannah Palm collected a loose ball in the circle and ripped a shot into the cage for her first goal of the year.

• The Falcons made it 3-0 in the 19^th minute as Kezia Loht launched a long shot that Taylor Wiederrecht redirected into the cage for the goal.

• Messiah was stellar on defense in the first half as they kept the Spartans from attempting a shot in the opening 35 minutes of the game.

• The Spartans steadied themselves early in the second half and were able to get a more sustained offensive thrust. That offensive thrust proved fruitful when junior Amanda Boclair found fellow junior Meghan Heary with a pass into the middle of the circle. Heary finished off the chance and got the Spartans on the board in the 45^th minute.

• Messiah closed out the scoring as they drew a penalty stroke with 18 seconds left in the game. Wetzel got her second goal of the game as she went upper right 90 on the stroke.

Spartan Leaders

Meghan Heary: 1 goal, 1 shot on goal

Amanda Boclair: 1 assist

Julea Truskey: 1 defensive save

Lindsay Nye: 2 shots

Falcon Leaders

Megan Wetzel: 2 goals, 2 shots on goal

Hannah Palm: 1 goal, 3 shots on goal

Taylor Wiederrecht: 1 goal, 2 shots, 1 shot on goal

Kezia Loht: 1 assist, 5 shots, 1 shot on goal

Casie Stief: 1 assist, 1 shot on goal

Goalie Comparison

Sam Keating (YCP): 70 minutes, 4 goals against, 3 saves (Loss, 0-1)

Shelby Landes (MC): 35 minutes, 0 goals against, 0 saves (Win, 1-0)

Megan Bomba (MC): 35 minutes, 1 goals against, 0 saves

Game Notes:

York is now 4-11-3 all-time against the Falcons as Messiah has won five straight in the series including the last two season openers between the squads … the assist for junior Amanda Boclair was her second career helper with the first one coming her freshman year against Frostburg State … the goal for Meghan Heary was her second career tally with her first coming last year against Elizabethtown.

Up Next:

The Spartans head out on the road on Wednesday to face Dickinson College in Carlisle. The game is set for a 4:00 pm start.