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Squad Hangs Tough After Early Challenge; Discards EMU 4-1
Posted: 8/29/2008
Box Score | More Women's Soccer news
Junior Emily Cope may have supplied Messiah's most aesthetic goal of the evening against EMU.

Grantham, PA — As far as season openers go, it was the best of both worlds for the Messiah College women’s soccer team Friday night at Shoemaker Field.

The Falcons — ranked second in the NSCAA/Adidas NCAA Division III Pre-Season Top 25 — got both a win and a test against visiting Eastern Mennonite University, taking a 4-1 decision but not before doing some soul searching in the process.

Eastern Mennonite (0-1) responded to an early Messiah goal with a score of its own midway through the first half, giving pause to a program that allowed just seven goals in 24 games last season.

Of course, Messiah (1-0) eventually tightened things up in cruising to victory, but head coach Scott Frey said he thought his team learned some valuable lessons in its very first outing of the year.

“Give Eastern Mennonite credit,” the ninth-year Falcons’ leader said afterward. “They came in here and played very hard and very well. They took advantage of a mistake we made in the midfield and made us pay in the first half. Even though we eventually got back on track, we didn’t immediately respond in the manner that I’d like us to.”

Frey’s team got on the board just nine and a half minutes into play, when junior Amanda Naeher took a cross from sophomore Molly Bletz and slid a shot just past the reach of the Royals’ keeper. Messiah seemed to be in complete control until a turnover in the midfield resulted in EMU’s Katie Lamm blasting a looping shot from nearly 40 yards out, somehow ducking under the cross bar to tie the game up at the 24:32 mark.

Messiah’s opening day festivities had suddenly found a hitch.

“We kind of went flat for a bit after that,” Frey said. “I thought we got quiet. We got cautious. We stopped talking and we stopped attacking. It was almost like we were shocked.”

Fortunately for Frey and company, the Falcons’ domineering possession game helped reclaim a lead just nine minutes later. A flurry of activity in front of the EMU goal resulted in a ricocheted ball landing at the feet of sophomore Katie Hoffsmith at the 33:30 point, and the forward calmly placed it into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead.

It was at that point — according to Frey — that Messiah got back to its old self.

“Once we got back ahead, we were alright on all accounts,” he said. “But we’ve got to get better at playing even or playing behind.”

Messiah would carry its 2-1 lead into the half, but the Royals’ chances of staying close were quickly dissipating. The Falcons would eventually record a 33-4 advantage in total shots on the evening, scoring for the third time just nine minutes into the second period.

That goal might have been the most visually pleasing combination of the evening, as junior Emily Cope was the beneficiary of a drop from sophomore Erin Hench. Cope then rifled a left-footed blast to the far-side upper 90 from just inside the box, drawing the loudest ovation of the night from the crowd of over 200.

Messiah struck again about three minutes later, this time with Hench receiving a nifty feed from junior Katlyn Musser at the 58:15 mark.

“The best thing about those goals,” Frey said, “was that they were off things we work on every day. They didn’t happen by chance.”

The Falcons may have piled it on by an even greater amount had it not been for a combination of stingy EMU defense and a slippery, wet field. A day-long rain and freshly cut pitch made for a variety of mis-hits and near-misses, a majority of which occurred in close proximity to EMU’s net.

“You’ll get some of that on a night like this, but Eastern Mennonite defended like crazy,” Frey said. “They were always behind the ball and did some really good things. I thought we created some really good chances and played the balls we wanted to play, but EMU was tough.”

As a result of its constant attack, Messiah attempted 11 corner kicks on the night, while EMU recorded none. Frey said he was especially pleased with the play of senior Kacie Klynstra in the midfield and that of Hoffsmith, who scored while playing forward in the first half before checking in as an outside back in the second.

“I thought, as a whole, our younger players really stepped on the field and looked like they knew what we wanted,” Frey said. “Katie Hoff had a really good night in a variety of roles, and Kacie just controlled the midfield so well. That’s something that doesn’t get noticed by a lot of people, but it just changes the whole tempo of the game. We were able to play a lot of players and spread the minutes around, and I thought we didn’t lose anything when we brought people in.”

Frey’s group will not have long to enjoy the victory, as the team hosts the University of Rochester at 6 p.m. Saturday — less than 24 hours away.

“We’re going to have to turn around and play a big, strong physical team tomorrow,” Frey said. “Tonight was a good effort, and I thought we learned a lot. Hopefully we’ll find a way to do it again tomorrow.”