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Hench Hat Trick Paces Messiah Over Muhlenberg By 6-1 Score
Posted: 9/16/2009
Box Score | More Women's Soccer news
Junior Erin Hench skipped her way to three goals Wednesday night; her first collegiate hat trick.

Allentown, PA — Junior Erin Hench scored just 38 seconds into play at Muhlenberg College Wednesday night, opening the floodgates early in an eventual 6-1 Messiah win at the Mules’ Varsity Field.

The Carlisle, Pa. native would finish with three scores off of four shots on the evening, keeping the Falcons record unblemished while helping the visitors to a dominant road win.

“Once again we created good chances, and anytime you can get an early (score) on the road is always big,” said Scott Frey, Messiah head coach. “Muhlenberg is feisty, competitive team, and they always battle you. I was pleased with how we came out and played.”

Hench initiated what would translate into another dominant possession game for Messiah, heading in the Falcons’ first goal off a chip pass from senior Amanda Naeher less than a minute into play. Working near the center of the 18-yard box, Hench got free about 14 yards away from the endline, redirecting Naeher’s pass from the right side and floating in her third goal of the year with 44:22 reading on the scoreboard.

It would be the team’s first of 34 shots on the evening, while Muhlenberg (3-2) would attempt only five.

Messiah (6-0) got on the board again in the 17th minute, when a gorgeous corner kick from junior Molly Bletz found Naeher’s knee directly in front of the goal. Junior Joanna Haqq was waiting for the deflection, and cracked a shot into the upper netting while standing on the goal line.

With only 17:27 elapsed, Frey’s team had a 2-0 lead.

It was just moments later that Muhlenberg provided Messiah its only lowlight.

Following the re-start from midfield, the Mules had connected one pass when a Muhlenberg player changed directions right in front of Hench. Unable to stop her momentum, Hench ran the player over, resulting in a free kick for the hosts from 45 yards away.

Muhlenberg junior defender Emily Olsen sent a curving ball into the right side of the box, where it found the head of junior midfielder Lauren Petri. Petri’s header went floating back toward the near post, out the reach of sophomore goalkeeper Autumn Reilly.

“That was one of those goals where you just have to give the other team credit,” Frey said. “Erin’s foul was completely unintentional, Autumn was in the right spot and we had two girls go up with (Petri) for the ball. They just made a nice play.”

Sadly for the hosts, any thoughts of a comeback would be short-lived.

Naeher made it a 3-1 score just over two minutes later, taking a feed from Hench and putting on a display inside the Mules’ box that reeked of National Player of the Year value: After collecting Hench’s pass from the right wing, Naeher two touched a ball around three Mules’ defenders, beating them to the right before ripping a right-footed blast just two yards off the endline.

The result was a rocket that crossed immediately in front of Muhlenberg sophomore goalkeeper Michele Toher’s face, banging off the far post and ricocheting into the net at the 20:13 mark.

From there, Messiah’s grip on the game would only tighten. Hench tacked on her second and third goals of the evening at the 48:48 and 50:18 marks, each coming off of similar build-ups: On the first, sophomore Leah Sipe took a left-side cross from senior Amy Horst and played it back to Hench, who two-touched it around a defender and blasted a right-footed shot just under the crossbar.

On the second, Bletz served a ball in from the left side, only for Sipe to again play it back to Hench. Hench’s final goal of the day was perhaps the most artistically-placed shot, as the junior sent a low liner to the near post — tantalizingly close to the reach of Muhlenberg substitute keeper Kassandra Kist, but just out of it.

Messiah’s final goal of the evening came less than a minute later, when Horst knocked in her second “how-did-that-go-in-from-that-angle” shot of the year: After a Muhlenberg counter was met with a clear from Reilly, Naeher one-touched the ball to Hench near midfield. Hench then one-timed a long ball down the left flank, where Horst outraced a Muhlenberg defender to get to it.

Running out of real estate, Horst was only able to touch the ball once, ripping a liner from just off the endline on the edge of the 18-yard box. Her shot curled into the upper 90, far post, instantly drawing comparisons to her game-opening cross-turned-score against Roberts Wesleyan College.

“She was actually trying to score this one, though,” Frey noted.

Horst’s Wednesday goal finalized what otherwise was another dominant contest for Messiah, as Naeher and Bletz finished with three and two assists, respectively.

“It’s good to get Erin scoring goals, but she’ll be quick to tell you that she’s a beneficiary of what other people do on our team,” Frey said. “Molly, (junior) Katie Hoffsmith play great balls in … our wingers, the same. It helps to have players like Erin and Mandy (Naeher) who can score, but we have players who can get the ball where it needs to be. You can’t underestimate the value of the serve.”

A tough test awaits Frey’s club next, as the team will travel to Lynchburg College Saturday — a team ranked 11th in the latest D3soccer.com Top 25 Poll and 13th in the most recent NSCAA/Adidas Top 25 Poll. That game is slated for a 1 p.m. start.

“We’re trying to get better each time out,” Frey said. “Lynchburg will be another great test for us on the road. It will be another good test to see where we’re at.”