Ewing, NJ… The fourth-ranked TCNJ Field Hockey team suffered their first setback of the season Saturday night, falling 2-1 to defending National Champions and top-ranked Messiah College. The Lions drop to 3-1 with the loss, while the Falcons improve to 5-0.
 
Messiah opened the scoring in the 13^th minute when Taylor Holt took advantage of a loose ball and fired a shot into the right corner of the net. The Falcons would extend the lead off the stick of Kezia Loht, who forced a turnover inside the arc and beat the Lions goalie with a shot from inside five yards.
 
The Lions maintained their composure and answered with a goal by Kayla Peterson (Cream Ridge, NJ/Allentown), when she ripped a shot from the edge of the arc following a pass from Jordan Paton (Allendale, NJ/Northern Highlands).
 
TCNJ would get multiple opportunities to tie the score, getting a pair of penalty corners just before the first half ended.
 
In the second half, the Falcons continued to pepper shots on Christina Fabiano (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills). Fabiano kept the Lions in the game making eight of her career-high ten saves in the second period.
 
The Lions had two serious threats deep in the game, the first coming when freshman Tori Tiefenthaler (Freehold, NJ/Biotechnology/Freehold Borough) stole a pass and had a clear path to the net. She was taken down by the Falcons net-minder, but no foul was called. Finally the Lions earned a penalty corner in the game's final minute, however Peterson's shot was blocked and the Falcons were able to run out the clock.
 
Messiah out-shot TCNJ 17-8, the first time the Lions were out-shot this season.
 
TCNJ is back in action Tuesday, when the Lions host Gwynedd Mercy University at 7:30 PM.