Box Score
Grantham, PA – An eruption of screams and cheers came barreling out from the Elizabethtown College Blue Jays' bench just 72 seconds into Saturday's contest against the five-time defending Commonwealth Champion Messiah College Falcons.
The Blue Jays' Jacki Hikes silenced the Falcons' bench and most of the Falcons' fans—who had barely made it to their seats— with a hard blast from the right side of the goal and passed
Molly Gebrosky's outstretched pad. The shot slammed the back of the net, simultaneously sparking the Blue Jays' celebration and a 1-0 lead.
"They came in and scored first, which was a bit of a wake-up call for us," head coach
Brooke Good said after the game. "We knew they were going to come in and play tough. They had just scored a big win over LVC on Friday and we were next. We just had to get back out there and keep playing."
The Falcons had been in this position before, more recently than would be expected. Just two days prior,
the Falcons faced deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 to the visiting Arcadia University Knights in the Commonwealth Semifinals, before overcoming the deficits for a thrilling a 3-2 win in the final seconds of the game.
This time, though, the Falcons (17-3) would not need late theatrics. The hosts scored four unanswered goals, two from tournament MVP
Natalie Ziegler, en route to a 4-1 victory over the visiting Blue Jays (14-6). For the Falcons, the win was their sixth Commonwealth Conference Championship in a row and the 12th in the last 13 years.
"We started off slow, and the goal was a little bit of a shock to our system," Ziegler said following the game. "Once we settled in a little bit and started really getting our passing together we started scoring goals."
The score from Hikes unfolded quickly, leaving the Falcons in a state of awe and giving the Blue Jays a glimpse of hope at avenging
a 3-0 loss the Falcons in their regular season matchup . The goal came on the first shot from either team on the afternoon, marking the fastest tally of the season for the Blue Jays.
The spontaneous goal preceded a back-and-forth contest between these bitter rivals, bringing with it the physicality and passion that is often associated with a conference championship bout.
Nonetheless, the Falcons' defense tightened as they have all season as the nation's fifth-ranked squad (0.76 GAA), presenting the offense with countless opportunities to answer.
Five consecutive penalty corners for the Falcons over a seven-minute span midway through the first half provided the hosts with enough opportunities to equalize. Shots from Ziegler,
Brooke Sands and
Juliana Hershey missed their mark, but the Falcons offense remained relentless with pressure. After an errant clear attempt from a Blue Jays' defender junior
Caroline Wulf sent a hard shot toward E'town goalkeeper Lindy Hamp. Hamp staved off the attempt, but Ziegler controlled the rebound, slamming the shot into the left side of the net from 11 yards out, knotting it up at one apiece.
Just three minutes later the Falcons'
Heather Quirk sent a long pass into the circle from 25 yards out that found the outstretched stick of senior
Juliana Hershey. The deflection off Herhsey's stick popped over a sprawling Hamp and spun into the left side of the net.
The goal brings Hershey's season total to 10, and is remarkably the sixth time she has scored in Commonwealth Championship games. Last season Hershey scored three times in a 7-1 win over Alvernia University and twice in her sophomore season against Lebanon Valley.
Even after Hershey's goal, the Falcons' offense didn't let up.
Four minutes later Ziegler found the back of the net for the second time in the game and the sixth time this season. The Falcons again took advantage of an awarded penalty corner—their eighth of the half—to add a cushion to their 2-1 lead.
The shock felt by the Falcons after the 1-0 deficit was nowhere to be found headed into the half.
An insurance goal off the stick of senior
Emily Hursh squeaked through the pads of the Blue Jays' keeper just two minutes into the second frame, increasing the Falcons' lead to three. Hursh deflected a shot towards the net from Ziegler, giving the senior midfielder an assist to accompany her two goals.
The Blue Jays showed some urgency late in the game, making
Molly Gebrosky stave off three shots late in the half to preserve the three-goal lead and ultimately the win.
As mentioned, Ziegler was awarded the Commonwealth Conference Championships Most Valuable Player award. The honor comes just three days after being
named a First Team All-Conference player at the midfield for the Falcons. Ziegler totaled three goals—two game-winners— and assist over the Falcons' two wins in the tournament.
With the win, the ninth-ranked Falcons earned an automatic bid into the NCAA playoffs for the sixth-straight season, the first under first-year head coach
Brooke Good.
The loss potentially ends the Blue Jays' season, barring an at-large bid into the NCAA playoffs.
Fans are encouraged to follow
GoMessiah.com to follow the Falcons trek throughout the NCAA playoffs.
FH: Falcons C'Wealth Champions Gallery
