ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE WOMEN'S SOCCER 
Saturday, October 9, 1999

ETOWN OUTDUELS MESSIAH, 1-0, IN DECISIVE CONFERENCE GAME

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- In what may prove to be one of the most important regular-season games for both teams, Elizabethtown outlasted Messiah in a game which surprisingly turned out to be a defensive struggle and defeated the Falcons, 1-0, while extending its winning streak to eight games.

Both teams entered the game with undefeated records in the MAC Commonwealth Conference, with Elizabethtown at 5-0 and Messiah at 3-0. With conference championships influencing NCAA Tournament berths more heavily now than in previous years, it was a game both teams needed to win.

Jen Helsel (Minoa, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa) put the Blue Jays on the board early with a goal at 3:09 on an assist from Andrea Thompson (Reading, PA/Holy Name).

It was the only goal Etown would score for the entire game, and the only one it would need as goaltender Lisa Blanker (Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville) effectively shut down the nation's fourth-highest scoring offense.

Messiah (9-4 overall) had scored 51 goals in its first 11 games, but Blanker blocked everything that came her way, making eight saves en route to her second consecutive shutout victory and the Blue Jays' eighth of the season.

Elizabethtown (11-3 overall) returns to action on the road against Widener Thurday, October 13 in its final MAC Commonwealth contest of the season. Game time is 4:00 p.m.

Scoring:
EC--Jen Helsel 3 (Andrea Thompson), 3:09

Shots: EC 6, MC 10. Corners: EC 6, MC 2. Goalie Saves: Lisa Blanker (EC) 8, Katrina Krzemen (MC) 5.