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Falcons Blank Visiting Geneva 3-0, Remain Undefeated
Posted: 9/29/2009
Box Score | More Men's Soccer news
Geneva tested Messiah's back line Tuesday night, but the Falcons once again won the battle of attrition.

By Travis Galaska, GoMessiah.com reporter
Grantham, PA — It can be very easy for a team coming off a huge win to suffer a letdown in their next match. The Falcons have served notice, however, that they aren’t just any team.

Messiah was able to withstand a dangerous Geneva College team that was able to play even soccer with the boys in white until early in the second half Tuesday night, when the Falcons were able to score two quick goals and pull away for a hard-fought 3-0 win at Shoemaker Field.

It was precisely the type of final result that Messiah head coach Brad McCarty was looking for, given the team’s week layoff since last Tuesday’s impressive 4-1 win at #12/#18 Dickinson College.

“I don’t think the short layoff was bad for us, but it was certainly good to get back on the field,” McCarty said. “Again, I thought we got better as the game went on.”

Both teams proved dangerous right from the start, as just six minutes into the match Messiah (8-0) regisered its first good opportunity. Senior Brett Faro carried the ball down to just outside the Golden Tornadoes’ penalty box, where he played a pass to sophomore Derek Black on the right side. Black made a dribble towards the goal before stopping and cutting back toward the center of the box to get around a defender chasing from behind. After getting past one Tornado defender, Black ripped a shot on goal, but it went right at senior keeper David Callahan, who was able to make the save.

Just two minutes later, Geneva would provide an offensive threat of their own. Bringing the ball down the right side of the field, the Tornadoes were able to work the ball behind the Messiah defense and get a through pass into the penalty box, where their attacker got a split second look on goal and ripped a shot. Fortunately for the Falcons, junior defender Jon Burke got his body in front of the shot and shielded the ball all the way out toward midfield.

Two minutes after that, it was Messiah who would respond, as sophomore Danny Thompson flicked a header in the midfield behind his back for speeding sophomore Geoff Pezon. Pezon took the ball in stride and flew through the defense on the left side and took a shot from inside the penalty box, but Callahan was able to parry the ball straight over his head to make the save.

The back and forth attacking would continue, as minutes later Geneva (6-3) nearly went up a goal on the Falcons with a ridiculous shot from distance. After some good possession and passing by the Tornado midfield, the ball wound up on the feet of junior Kenton Burckhart with plenty of space in front of him. Burckhart took a few dribbles straight toward goal and ripped a rocket of a shot from 30 yards out. The ball barely cleared the hands of senior Messiah keeper Jared Clugston and dipped down toward goal, but banged square off the crossbar and back out to center, leaving the Geneva faithful groaning in agony.

In the 24th minute, the Falcons were finally able to do some damage on the scoreboard. Messiah earned a corner on the left side, and after the ball bounded around and was nearly cleared by the Tornado defense, it ended up back on the feet of sophomore Kent Ramirez, who took the original corner kick. After sending in a low cross from the end line, the ball weaseled its way through the legs of several Tornado defenders and onto the foot of junior Nick Thompson. Thompson corralled the ball quickly and got off an open shot, burying the ball into the right side of the net for a 1-0 Falcon lead.

From that point on in the half, both teams continued to feel each other out in the midfield, but neither side was able to get any great opportunities on goal, until the Falcons were awarded a free kick under a minute from half. Junior Keaton Kasiguran stepped in to take the kick just outside the Tornado penalty box and ripped a left-footed shot around the wall, but it brushed the outside of the net on the left side, sealing the score at 1-0 for the first half.

“Coach Todd Beall has that team ready to play,” said Messiah head coach Brad McCarty. “He has them playing some great soccer. They played high pressure and made it difficult for us in the midfield.”

Coming out of the halftime break, not much changed in the first few minutes. Both teams traded good looks on goal, with Geneva having the best opportunity of the early going, as sophomore Joshua Mann ripped an open shot inside the penalty box across the goal and off of the opposite post. A minute later, Clugston was forced to make another save after another shot from inside the Messiah box.

From there on out, however, it would be the Falcons who carried the game. After Danny Thompson volleyed a shot just over the crossbar from inside the Tornadoes’ penalty box, Messiah would connect on their two second-half goals and seal the victory.

In the 18th minute of the second half, freshman winger JP Fulton gained possession of the ball on the left corner of the Geneva penalty box. From there, Fulton played a through pas toward the end line and past the Tornadoes’ defense, where Nick Thompson was able to come up with the ball five yards off the line. Thompson drew the ball back and sent it right toward the Geneva penalty spot to a wide open Pezon, who put the ball squarely in the back right of the net to double the Falcon lead.

Just five minutes later, Fulton nearly recorded a brilliant tally of his own. Carrying the ball down the left wing, Fulton turned inward and dribbled alone the top line of the penalty box all the way toward the center. With a defender all over his left shoulder, Fulton swiveled and blasted a ridiculous shot that curled down and to the left, but the ball just clanged off the right upper 90 of the frame and out to center.

It was of small importance to Messiah however, as they were able to gain their insurance goal just six minutes later. Freshman Joshua Wood flicked another header pass onto the feet of Pezon, who raced right through the Tornadoes’ defense and pushed a shot to the right side of the goal past an onrushing Callahan, making the score 3-0 and giving Pezon his seventh multi-goal game of his career.

“We got much more possession in the second half,” McCarty said. “I feel like we deserved the win, but (because of the post-shots) it could’ve gone either way.”

After playing three of their last four games at Shoemaker Field, McCarty’s club will hit the road next, traveling to The College of New Jersey Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. contest.

“They play a different brand of soccer in the NJAC,” McCarty said. “It’s going to be tough and it’s going to be physical.”