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EWING – Normally 11 saves and a second-half shutout are both signs of a rout for the No. 4 ranked field hockey team at The College of New Jersey. But the Messiah College Falcons aren’t a normal opponent.
Despite one of the strongest defensive efforts of the season, the Lions fell, 2-1, to No. 1 Messiah on Saturday, Sept. 17, at Lions Stadium, dropping their record to 3-1.
This could’ve been a statement win for the Lions, matched up with the defending national champions and current National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll leaders. But the Falcons’ unforgiving attack — which included 17 total shots, and 13 on goal — tested the Lions early and often.
After the loss, all players and coaches from TCNJ refused to talk to the media. After an emotional meeting at midfield, the Lions packed up, marched straight out the away entrance of Lions’ Stadium.
“We like to look at every game with equal importance but I think we’re all really hyped up for this game in particular,” said senior goalkeeper Christina Fabiano two days before the game. “Given the season they had last year, we’re really excited to show that we can compete with the best.”
The Falcons opened up the game with a few strong possessions. After several turnovers, they scored at the 12:27 mark on a loose ball shot from senior Taylor Holt.
The Lions answered back with a few promising possessions, but they couldn’t convert.
With just under 11 minutes left in the half, a turnover in front of the goal netted junior Kezia Loht a score of her own and extended the Falcons lead to 2-0.
After the score, Lions coach Sharon Pfluger called a timeout. Pfluger, who leads all NCAA Division III field hockey coaches in active wins and winning percentage, didn’t want Messiah to run away with the momentum, and stopped the clock for a quick pep talk.
“Coach has been in this position time and time again, so she’s as prepared as a coach can possibly be,” Fabiano said. “It’s a great experience playing for someone who knows the magnitude of the game, but also wants us to play relaxed and have fun.”
Whatever Pfluger said must’ve worked, because less than three minutes after the timeout, sophomore Kayla Peterson scored on a penalty corner to give the Lions some life and cut the deficit to one score.
With a renewed sense of energy, the Lions continued to push the Falcons back. They took a shot and attempted a penalty corner, before the clocked ticked down. At the end of the period, the Lions got another penalty corner attempt, which led into another penalty corner. Unfortunately for the Lions, neither netted a score and the half ended with the Falcons on top, 2-1.
The Lions defense was a major force in the second half. Senior goalkeeper Christina Fabiano dipped and dove her way to eight saves in the second half alone, for a career-high of 10 total saves in the game.
The offense couldn’t do much against the equally potent Falcon defense, which broke up several scoring opportunities and kept the majority of possession time in favor of the Falcons.
The Lions squandered the few opportunities they had. They sent a few shots wide late in the game, and were forced off the ball in a crucial breakaway opportunity.
Once again, the Lions found themselves in a penalty corner situation with seconds remaining. The Lions passed the ball around, but their shot was blocked and the Falcons milked the clock and secured the win.
Despite the loss, the Lions gave Messiah one of its closest matchups in a year. The offense will have 12 more regular season matchups to grind for a possible appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
With Messiah out of the picture for now, the Lions will focus on winning another New Jersey Athletic Conference title. While they’re the favorites in the NJAC, they must still play out each game in the coming weeks.