Messiah 4-0 Alumni: Youngsters Shine For Current Messiah Squad
Posted: 4/24/2008
More Women's Soccer news
The "Youngsters" took it to the "Oldsters" this year in a 4-0 performance on Shoemaker Field.

Grantham, PA — On a very sunny and unseasonably warm day the Messiah women’s soccer team welcomed back many friends and teammates to play in the annual Alumni game on Shoemaker Field this past Saturday, April 19. 

The “Oldsters” were looking to improve upon a very “lackluster” performance of a year ago where the final score is an unmentionable.  This year’s squad was an impressive 21 players strong and included five All-Americans. 

The first ten to fifteen minutes of the game was a real struggle for the young Falcons.  Coach Frey commented, “I wasn’t sure we were ever going to get across midfield with the pressure the Alumni was putting on us.  We could not play through the mid-field and had a hard time stringing together any passes to get us out of their pressure.  It felt like we could be in for a very long afternoon.  I know very well the talent that was on the other side of the field and I also know they were very determined to be the first Alumni team to win this game.” 

Jamie Gasiorowski ’04 had a great opportunity to put the Alumni up as she was played through clean making a run from the mid-field but her shot was saved by the keeper.  Messiah’s goalie coach and ’04 grad Maggie Futato kept the board even at 0-0 when she made a big save on a shot from Erin Hench.  The effort by Hench seemed to give the Falcons a bit of confidence and control of the midfield slowly began to tilt the other direction.  Hench gave the “Youngsters” a 1-0 lead just over half way through the period as the shot went off of Futato’s hands but into the net.

The heat and training habits of the “Oldsters” began to take its toll in the second half.  Pressure by the Falcons started to force some mistakes and space in the mid-field began to open up as Messiah started to move the ball much more quickly.  Amy Horst pushed the score to 2-0 when she collected a ball just outside the penalty area on the left side in front of the goal and pounded a knuckler into the left side upper 90.  Hench posted her second of the day when Marla Sensi played an almost impossible cross, that looped  from the right side end line to the far post where Erin poked it home.  The final tally of the afternoon came from Rachel Horning who cut the ball three times on the left side in the box and then hit a shot that deflected off a defender inside the near post.

“I was very pleased with the play of our back row, especially the younger players who have not had a lot of experience in those positions.  It is always interesting to see how players step into new roles and handle new expectations as this team begins to develop and look towards the upcoming fall season.  I really like the potential of this group and the energy and enthusiasm that they play with.  It is one of the fastest and maybe the most athletic teams we have fielded yet here at Messiah across the entire field,” stated Coach Frey.

“I also want to say a special thanks to all the Alumni who were able to come back and be apart of this game.  It is a great opportunity for us in the spring to play against a very good side and see where we are as a team.  It is also just great to touch base again with so many who have given so much to this program and who are an integral part of a very special history.”

Messiah concludes their spring season with a contest at Bucknell University of Saturday, April 26 at 12:00 noon.