Box Score

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Freshman Myles Gortva (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional) headed in the first Lycoming College men's soccer team goal against Messiah College since 2008 in the 90^th minute, but the third-ranked Messiah was able to use two first-half goals stand up in a 2-1 Commonwealth Conference win  on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 22, at the Shangraw Athletic Complex.
 
The Warriors (7-6-2 overall, 2-3-1 Commonwealth) faced a stiff challenge in the Falcons (15-1 overall, 6-0 Commonwealth), who have won four of the last five national titles. In fact, the one-goal loss is the closest a team has come against Messiah in a Commonwealth Conference game this season.
 
As the clock wound under a minute, the Warriors pressed up on offense and junior Trevor Bishop (Telford, Pa./Souderton Area) lifted a free kick from 35 yards out. It hit off a Falcon defender and deflected high into the air, where Gortva found it on a dead sprint on the right side of the box and headed it into the corner of the net with 41 seconds left.
 
The Warriors brought pressure in the final 40 seconds, but Messiah was able to counter the pressure, nearly scoring on a breakaway, but the shot went wide.
 
Messiah got on the board in the sixth minute, as Brian Ramirez broke through the Lycoming defense before blasting a shot into the center of the net. Five minutes late, Jeremy Payne scored on a give from Drew Frey.
 
Messiah fired 23 shots in the game, but the Lycoming defense stood tall, holding the defending champs scoreless for the final 79 minutes of the game.
 
The Warriors, however, were not able to counter with a shot until the final 10 minutes of the game, when they fired three.
 
Junior goalkeeper Connor Keenan (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) made six saves for the Warriors and Messiah keeper Brandon West stopped one.
 
The Warriors get back in action with a critical game on Saturday, Oct. 26, facing Arcadia in a must-win for a chance to make the Commonwealth Conference playoffs. The game is set for a 4 p.m. kickoff.