Women's Lacrosse | 3/14/2018 6:44:00 PM
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PORT CHARLOTTE, FL -- Nazareth scored two goals in the opening 10 minutes of Wednesday's non-conference game against 12th-ranked Messiah, but the Falcons responded by outscoring the Golden Flyers 10-3 through the remainder of the contest. Graduate student
Jamie Martin and freshman
Tori Blazey combined for Nazareth's five goals. With Wednesday's goals, Martin has a team-high 13 goals, and Blazey is tied for fifth on the team with five goals.
Following the loss, the Golden Flyers drop to 2-3 overall. With the victory, Messiah improves to 3-2 overall. The Falcons' losses have come to top-ranked Gettysburg and eighth-ranked Franklin & Marshall.
Only 2:44 into the first half, Blazey put Nazareth on the board with an unassisted score. Martin added to the Golden Flyers' lead about seven minutes later with another unassisted goal.
Just 28 seconds after Martin's goal, the Falcons answered with the first of three goals in a 6:39 span. Courtney Wagner, Messiah's leading scorer, tallied the Falcons' first goal, which was followed by goals by Mckenna Edwards and Annika Johnsen. Johnsen's goal provided the Falcons' their first lead of the game midway through the first half, but Blazey knotted the score 3-3 with 11:17 to play in the half.
Messiah responded with a pair of goals to claim a 5-3 lead. Wagner and Nicole Radcliffe found the back of the Nazareth net, but Martin's second goal of the game trimmed the Golden Flyers' deficit to one score. The Falcons' Jamie Bishop reclaimed Messiah's two-goal lead in the closing minutes of the first half.
Similar to the first half, the Golden Flyers found the back of the net in the opening minutes of the second half. Martin tallied her third goal of the game 2:53 into the period after receiving a pass from sophomore
Bridget Collins. With the assist, Collins has three goals and two assists on the season. Following, Collins' goal, however, the Falcons stymied Nazareth's offense as the Golden Flyers were held scoreless the remainder of the game. Nazareth's defense only allowed Messiah to score four goals in the second stanza. Wagner, Bishop, Johnsen, and Jess Hatch scored for the Falcons to give Messiah the 10-6 victory.
Junior
Brianna Rizzari amassed a game-high 13 saves in the loss. Amber Orner and Jessie Lissner split time between the pipes for the Falcons and combined for six saves. Orner was credited with the victory. Messiah finished with advantages in total shots (27-14), draw controls (12-4), and ground balls (21-17). Senior
Haley DeVona, who ranks first in total points for the Golden Flyers, was held to one shot by the Falcons' tenacious defense.
Nazareth continues action in Florida on Friday when the Golden Flyers play Keene State at 10 a.m. Nazareth opens Empire 8 action on March 24th when the Golden Flyers host Stevens at 1 p.m.
