Box Score
ANNVILLE, Pa. – Messiah scored four unanswered goals in the second half and the No. 2 Falcons defeated No. 14 Lebanon Valley 5-1 Saturday afternoon in a Commonwealth Conference field hockey game at the LVC Field Hockey Stadium.
With the win, Messiah (14-1, 6-0 CC) clinched the Commonwealth Conference regular season title and home field throughout the Commonwealth playoffs.
Lebanon Valley (12-6, 4-2 CC) lost for just the third time in its last 12 games.
Messiah broke open a scoreless tie in the 26th minute when senior Danae Chambers scored unassisted. The goal, Chambers’ 25th of the season, gave her 263 career points and allowed her to become the new NCAA Division III career points leader, as she surpassed the former record of 262 set by Sherri Allebach of Eastern Mennonite from 1996-99.
With no time on the clock in the opening half, sophomore Steph Marguglio (Bridgeton, N.J./Bridgeton) drilled in an unassisted goal of her own to pull LVC even at 1-1 heading into halftime. Marguglio’s goal was her 19th of the season, the most scored by an LVC player in one season since Lora Zimmerman ’01 scored a school record 26 in 2000.
The Falcons scored three times over an 8:37 span midway through the second half to put the game away. Junior Aftan Fisher scored off an assist from Chambers in the 44th minute before Chambers knocked in another unassisted goal six minutes later. Junior Jenna Schwind made it 4-1 when she scored in the 52nd minute, and she tacked on Messiah’s fifth goal of the game with 4:49 left.
Sophomore Katie Pawlewicz (Reading, Pa./Holy Name) went the distance in goal for LVC and made four saves. Senior Erica Nelson stopped six shots for Messiah.
Lebanon Valley returns to action on Tuesday, when it visits Albright College at 3:30 p.m. in the team’s final Commonwealth Conference regular season game of the year.
Messiah 1 4 - 5
Lebanon Valley 1 0 - 1
M – Danae Chambers (unassisted), 25:51
LV – Steph Marguglio (unassisted), 35:00
M – Aftan Fisher (Danae Chambers), 43:18
M – Danae Chambers (unassisted), 49:20
M – Jenna Schwind (unassisted), 51:55
M – Jenna Schwind (unassisted), 65:21
Shots: Messiah 13. Lebanon Valley 9.
Saves: Messiah (Erica Nelson) 6. Lebanon Valley (Katie Pawlewicz) 4.
Penalty Corners: Messiah 7. Lebanon Valley 8.
Team Records: Messiah 14-1, 6-0 CC. Lebanon Valley 12-6, 4-2 CC.
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