Logo
Logo
Logo
Twitter   Facebook
FDU-Florham's Frenetic First Half Shuts Down Messiah's Year
Sophomore Josh Stewart had 15 saves, but FDU-Florham's strong start was simply too much.

Madison, NJ — Forty-eight hours prior to Wednesday’s MAC Semi-Final at FDU-Florham, the Falcons had scored six unanswered goals to open Monday’s MAC Quarter-Final win at Eastern University.

Sadly for Messiah, the roles were reversed at FDU’s Robert T. Shields Field.

The host Devils exploded out of the gates to register 25 of the game’s first 30 shots, claiming a 6-0 lead over Messiah in the game’s first half, holding on for a 9-4 win on a gorgeous Wednesday evening.

A better effort in the second half was not enough to overcome some early deficiencies off the bus, as fifth-seeded Messiah (9-8) was unable to upset third-seeded FDU-Florham (11-5), concluding the Falcons’ season in the process.

“We didn’t play our best lacrosse in the first half,” said Messiah head coach Geof Weisenborn, “and in the MAC Semi-Final, you can’t win if you’re not at you’re best throughout the game.”

FDU-Florham dominated nearly every statistical category in the game’s opening 30 minutes, outshooting Messiah by a 25-5 count while scooping 13 ground balls to the Falcons’ five. Junior J.J. Miller did win five of the eight first-half face-offs, but 11 first half turnovers from the Falcons often gave the ball right back to the hosts.

“You have to credit FDU,” Weisenborn said. “They were a step faster than us in the first half. Whether that was ground balls, clears, offense or defense, they were just a step faster.”

It was not the start that Weisenborn was looking for, as Messiah stayed close to FDU in the teams’ regular-season meeting back on Apr. 17. In that game, the Falcons kept tabs on the hosts, trailing by just a 5-3 halftime score en route to a 9-7 loss.

Wednesday, however, the Devils’ start was just too much to overcome. Despite an inspired second-half performance from Weisenborn’s group, the deficit was simply too great.

“At halftime we talked about there being no such thing as a six-point goal,” Weisenborn said. “We also didn’t think the difference in the game would be a bunch of X and O changes. We thought it was more about our intensity level and our execution, and both were much better in the second half.”

Junior Eric Petters got Messiah on the board just eight seconds into the third quarter, taking an assist from senior John Murdock for his ninth goal of the season. Utilizing an FDU penalty that carried over from late in the second quarter, Petters notched a man-up score — the Falcons’ only extra-man conversion in four opportunities on the night.

FDU’s Kevin Shadiack scored his game-leading fourth goal just 17 seconds after Petters’ tally, however, putting the hosts up by a 7-1 score. Freshman Heath Kupecky finished another feed from Murdock with 8:43 to go in the period, but the Devils responded with two more goals in the span of two and a half minutes, taking a 9-2 lead into the waning moments of the third.

Senior Brent Stewart registered an unassisted tally with just over a minute left in the third, while the teams’ defenses took over in the fourth: Freshman Zac Smith scored the period’s only goal, an unassisted marker with just two seconds remaining on the clock.

“We were much better in almost every facet during the second half,” Weisenborn said. “We beat them in that half, but again, you can’t get down 6-0 in a post-season game and expect to win. It’s just too much of a deficit.”

In addition to Messiah’s four goal scorers, Murdock finished with a team-high two assists. Miller finished 9-15 in the face-off x, picking up a game-high six ground balls.

Sophomore goalie Josh Stewart finished with 15 saves, facing a total 35 shots from FDU.

“Our effort wasn’t bad in the first half, but I thought our intensity could’ve been better,” Weisenborn said. “I define intensity as effort plus focus. In the second half, we were much more aggressive, much more intense. We made better decisions and took control of the play. I thought we responded well after the first half.”

It was, in many ways, a microcosm of Messiah’s season. After starting the season slowly — losing four of its first five games — the team finished strong, winning eight of its final 11 before Wednesday’s defeat.

The loss concluded the careers of the Falcons’ eight seniors, while Weisenborn said he would miss Murdock, Stewart, Steve Feltner, Adam Gerhart, Kevin Connally, Nate Windon, Ken Allen and Morgan Kupfer.

“I think it impacts our guys that their experience is over, more than anything else,” he said. “Once it ends, it’s just not the same. I think it’s much less about the lacrosse, and more about the experience. I think they don’t want the experience to end, and that’s what makes it so tough.

“It affects me as a coach, too,” he continued. “This was a good group. They were my first recruiting class. They bought into what we wanted to do right from the beginning. They were leaders not just in words, but by example. They’re going to be missed.”