Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa.  – No. 14 Messiah College broke a 1-1 tie with a three-goal run to start the second half on its way to a 4-2 victory over Gettysburg College in non-conference field hockey action Wednesday at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium.
 
Gettysburg (2-8) turned in a strong opening half, out-shooting Messiah (8-4) 5-3 and forcing eight penalty corners. Junior Emily Van Horn (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) kept the Falcons off the board in the opening minutes with her team-high fourth defensive save of the season just over a minute into the contest.
 
Messiah goalie Carly Day kept the Bullets at bay with a save on a shot by sophomore Hannah Fitzgerald (Larchmont, N.Y./Mamaroneck) in the 20th minute. The visitors struck pay-dirt shortly after with Mattie Berger finding Carissa Gehman in front of the cage at 21:09.
 
Gettysburg answered the call just over six minutes later. Sophomore Tori Sankey (Robbinsville, N.J./Robbinsville) pushed the penalty corner to the top of the arc and senior Lexie Mowery (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Northern) struck a hard shot centered at the goal. Freshman Lindsay Kraus (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll) deflected the ball past Day to tie the game 1-1 at 27:54.
 
The Bullets added a pair of quick back-to-back shots by Fitzgerald and senior Kellyann Walley (Northport, N.Y./Northport) just two minutes later, but both were turned away by Day to preserve the deadlock.
 
Messiah pressed the action at the start of the final period. The Falcons broke the tie as Gehman scored her second goal off a feed in front by Karin Holvik 48 minutes into the game. Just 3:40 later, the Falcon first-year completed her hat trick, deflecting a pass from the top by Taylor Holt into the top of the cage.
 
The Falcons made it a 4-1 advantage three minutes later with Holt getting into the scoring column on a one-timer from Emily Rubright.
 
The Bullets added a goal in the 64th minute as junior Mari Bigley (Duncannon, Pa./Susquenita) knocked home a loose ball in front of the cage for her first tally this season.
 
Messiah finished with a 10-8 advantage in shots, while Gettysburg logged an 11-6 edge in penalty corners.
 
Fitzgerald accounted for three shots and Walley totaled a pair of attempts. Freshman Haley Mowery (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Northern) tallied one save.
 
Gettysburg heads to Swarthmore College for a Centennial Conference match up on Saturday, Oct. 11, at noon.