Box Score
Grantham, PA – Playing in front of almost 5,000 fans on Homecoming Day at Messiah College, sophomore
Jeremy Payne delivered a thrilling score with 2:41 left in overtime to send the Falcons to a 1-0 win over Widener University. Payne's game winner, assisted by classmate
Jack Thompson, came on Messiah's 28th and final shot of the night.
Payne's score set off a raucous celebration from the Messiah fans, specifically from the EYAS student alumni group who were seated near the field as part of the College's Homecoming tradition. (“Eyas” is a reference to a baby falcon.)
The win and celebration were the results of the connection by Thompson and Payne. Thompson, who just moments earlier saw a shot of his own go left of the goal, attacked down the left side of the field and into the box before sending a hard cross to Payne. After gathering the ball with his back to the net, Payne turned over his shoulder to fire the game winner past Widener keeper Jakub Valdner and into the right side of the goal.
The victory moved Messiah to 7-0 in the Commonwealth, with Widener falling to 4-2-1.
Though on paper the match-up did not look to be a candidate for an overtime thriller, the Pride did all they could to play for a close game. The visitors consistently kept all 10 of their field players in front of the ball, challenging Messiah to score through a sea of Widener blue. The Falcons did their best to meet the challenge, launching 28 total shots on the night against just three for Widener.
On more than a few of those shots, it appeared as though the Falcons would take a lead well before Payne did the honors in overtime. In the second half, especially, Messiah seemed to be knocking on the door.
Just two minutes after the halftime, senior
Logan Thompson sent a high cross from the right end line to the far post of the Pride's goal. There, junior
Joshua Wood put a header on the ball to the left post, with the ball bouncing off the ground and up off the crossbar. It was quickly cleared by the Widener defense.
Less than 10 minutes later, Payne almost broke the scoreless tie with a shot from 10 yards out from the right post, a shot that sailed just wide of the goal and off the outside of the net.
With the energy building from the capacity crowd, Widener continued to play conservative with their offense. They would take just one shot in the second half, with Messiah launching 18 by themselves.
With just over 13 minutes left in regulation, Wood again came close to putting Messiah ahead. Fed the ball on a post-up in the left side of the box, Wood turned to the left end line and drilled a shot on the ground towards the far post. The ball rolled just wide of the goal, drawing a collective gasp from the fans.
The Falcons' last close call came with 90 seconds to play, this time off the foot of a Widener defender; Payne's strong cross from the right end line was kicked on a slide by the Pride's Kevin Martin, with the ball narrowly missing the goal and going out of play.
As such, the teams would remain knotted at 0-0 through the end of regulation, setting up Payne's eventual overtime score.
The goal for the sophomore was number 12 on the season, a team-high. Thompson's assist was his eighth.
Saturday's win was Messiah's third 1-0 win this season, with victories over York College and Catholic University being the other two.
Ranked No. 2 in the most recent NSCAA Top 25 Poll, the Falcons move to 15-0-1 with Saturday's decision. Widener falls to 7-7-2.
The Falcons will next play on Tuesday, Oct. 23 when they travel to Arcadia University for a 7:00 p.m. game.
MSOC: Payne is Good on Homecoming Gallery
