WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Two scoring opportunities in the second half by seniors Duc Momo (Silver Spring, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase)  and Sainclair Tueno (Silver Spring, Md./Montgomery Blair) were both blocked by Messiah defenders and the eighth-ranked Lycoming College men's soccer team dropped a narrow 1-0 decision to third-ranked Messiah College in a battle for first place in the MAC Commonwealth on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 17, at the Shangraw Athletic Complex.

The Warriors' best chance came in the 54^th minute when Momo had a diving header on an open net but a Messiah defender, at the last second, cleared the ball out. Then in the 67^th minute, Tueno fired a shot on an open net but a Messiah defender again stepped in front, preserving the one-goal lead. 

After two shots in the first half, the Warriors (14-2 overall, 5-1 MAC Commonwealth) turned up the pressure in the second as they had nine shots in the half and kept the ball in Messiah's half of the field for majority of play. Lycoming outshot the Falcons, 11-10 with a 9-5 advantage in the second half.

Messiah (14-1 overall, 5-0 MAC Commonwealth), the top-ranked team in the D3soccer.com poll, gained the lead in the 12^th minute when Nick West crossed the ball to an open Danny Brandt and from about 10 yards out, Brandt volleyed in the shot for the 1-0 lead.

Junior goalkeeper Chris Solecki (Hainesport, N.J./Lenape) made four saves while Messiah's Connor Bell also made four.

The Warriors return to action on Friday, Oct. 20, when they take on Stevenson at 7 p.m. in a conference road game.