GRANTHAM, Pa. — While the Elizabethtown College women's soccer ended Messiah's seven-game shutout streak, the Falcons posted two goals in each half to get past the Blue Jays, 4-1, in the first non-conference matchup between the two schools since E-town joined the Landmark Conference.
Kendra Mancino tallied the lone goal for the Jays.
Messiah (10-0), the second-ranked team in the country, earned two early corners, but could not generate a scoring chance out of them. Nikki Elsaesser had the first real opportunity of the game about ten minutes in when she forced
Dana Robidoux into a save. Elsaesser came down the left side of the box and Robidoux charged off her line to meet her around the six-yard box and made the stop on the ensuing shot.
A few minutes later, Erin Sollenberger put undefeated Messiah on top 1-0 at 13:28 with her second of the season. Elsaesser then got on the board at 16:48.
Elizabethtown (5-3) had just two first-half shots, neither of which tested Falcons' keeper Audra Larson. Messiah finished with nine shots in the first 45 minutes.
The Falcons doubled the advantage by the 56th minute, with goals from Marisa Weaver and Elsaesser, who scored her second of the game.
Callie McClanahan put a header on goal in the 77th minute, but Larson made the save. Shortly thereafter,
Trisha Clark delivered a corner into the box, where a scramble for the ball led to the Jays' goal.
Off the corner,
Sydney Nester got a shot off, only to have Larson make the stop. However, the rebound found the foot of Mancino, who buried the shot for her first goal of the year.
Lauren Berry had a chance late in 86th minute, but Larson again made the save.
The women's soccer team will look to end its three-game skid on Saturday, October 4 when they host Goucher at Ira R. Herr Field at 1 p.m.
