ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE WOMEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, October 27, 2007

Messiah Ends Elizabethtown's Unbeaten Streak in Battle of Top 25 Teams, 5-2

Click here for the box score

GRANTHAM, Pa. --- Erin Hench scored a pair of goals as second-ranked Messiah College locked up the top seed in next week's Commonwealth Conference women's soccer playoffs with a 5-2 win over 18th-ranked Elizabethtown College on Saturday night.

The Falcons (17-0 overall, 5-0 Commonwealth) scored five unanswered goals to overcome an early 1-0 deficit and snap the Blue Jays' 11-game winning streak and 17-game unbeaten streak, both school records.

Despite the loss, Elizabethtown (16-2-1 overall, 4-1 Commonwealth) will be the second seed in the conference tournament and will host Widener University on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. at Ira R. Herr Field in a semifinal match.

The Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead just 8:44 into the contest as junior Jenna Russo (Florham Park, NJ/Hanover Park) tallied her ninth goal of the season off an assist by sophomore Christina Sheppard (Millville, NJ/Millville).

Messiah tied the game at 1-1 at 26:28 on a goal by Amanda Naeher, and went ahead 2-1 at 35:42 as Hench scored the first of her two goals off an assist by Katie Hoffsmith.

In the second half, the Falcons extended their lead to 3-1 at 55:09 on a goal by Emily Cope, then Hench pushed the Messiah lead to 4-1 at 65:15. Avie Fitzgerald wrapped up the scoring for Messiah at 67:09, and the Blue Jays tallied the final goal of the night at 80:13 when first-year student Mallory Murphy (Pottsville, PA/Pottsville) scored her third goal of the year.

Messiah finished with a 17-5 edge in shots and a 6-1 advantage in corner kicks over Elizabethtown.

Junior Angela Freeland (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) played the first 71 minutes in goal for the Blue Jays and made three saves, before yielding to first-year student Kristen Kelly (Bensalem, PA/Villa Joseph Marie), who made one stop. Brindley Beckwith tallied two saves for the Falcons.

Elizabethtown (16-2-1, 4-1-0 Comm.) at Messiah (17-0-0, 5-0-0 Comm.)
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
-------------------------------
Elizabethtown Coll.. 1 1 - 2
Messiah College..... 2 3 - 5

SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 8:44 ETOWN Jenna Russo (Christina Sheppard)
2. 26:28 MESS Amanda Naeher (unassisted)
3. 35:42 MESS Erin Hench (Katie Hoffsmith)
4. 55:09 MESS Emily Cope (unassisted)
5. 65:15 MESS Erin Hench (unassisted)
6. 67:09 MESS Avie Fitzgerald (unassisted)
7. 80:13 ETOWN Mallory Murphy (unassisted)

Shots: Elizabethtown 5, Messiah 17
Corners: Elizabethtown 1, Messiah 6
Saves: Elizabethtown 4 (Angela Freeland 3; Kristen Kelly 1), Messiah 2 (Brindley Beckwith 2)