Glenside, PA - The Falcons began defense of last year's Commonwealth Championship on the road in the Conference semifinals on Wednesday night against the Arcadia Knights. The Falcons shutout the Knights and scored three goals en route to a 3-0, semifinal victory.
 
After being shutout by Arcadia at Homecoming in Grantham just a few weeks ago the Falcons came out looking to score early. The first 10 minutes of the game were back and forth action with each team having chances to score.
 
Nicole Wilkerson had a shot blocked and Moriah Pfautz missed wide left twice in the first six minutes. In the 8th minute, Carly Day made two of her five saves on consecutive shots from the Knights.
 
With the game scoreless in the 11th minute, Taylor Holt gave the Falcons a lead with a strike from the top of the circle. The goal was Holt's eighth on the year and she has now scored in three of the Falcons last four games.
 
The Falcons were not content with just a one-goal lead. Just over two minutes later Emily Rubright sent a shot to the right post that Carissa Gehman got a stick on and it deflected into the goal, giving the Falcons a 2-0 lead less than 13 minutes into the game.
 
Gehman's goal prompted a change at the goalkeeper position for the Knights as Mia De Plato entered the game. In the 20th minute, De Plato made two saves on the shots from Rubright and Kristin Donohue to hold the score line at a two-goal difference
 
The Knights continued to pressure the Falcons, looking to cut the Falcon lead to one. In a string of play in the 29th minute the Knights had three penalty corners and took three shots. Day made a save on a shot but the rebound looked to have beaten her, but it deflected on the post and the score remained 2-0 in favor of the Falcons heading to the half.
 
In the second half both teams traded chances with Messiah looking to put the game out of reach and Arcadia trying to cut the lead in half. A second insurance goal would finally come for the Falcons in the 65th minute. Carissa Gehman found the back of the cage for a second time, after she moved around her defender and took a strike from the top of the circle.
 
The Knights last shot of the night would miss wide left and the Falcons would win by a final score of 3-0.
 
With the win, the Falcons advance to play Alvernia in Saturday's Conference Championship game. Alvernia defeated Lebanon Valley 2-1 on Wednesday in the other Semifinal match-up to advance to the Championship game. By virtue of seeding, the Falcons will travel to Reading to take on the No. 2 ranked Crusaders; game time is set for 2 p.m.