GRANTHAM, PA – The 18
th-ranked TCNJ field hockey team fell on the road to Messiah on Saturday afternoon, 3-1.
Neither team was able to score in the first two quarters, but the Falcons (4-6) held an edge in shots, 7-0, over the Lions (6-3). Messiah made good on their pressure about six minutes into the third quarter, opening the scoring through Olivia Zaskoda.
TCNJ, however, was able to equalize just over five minutes later through
Mackenzie Hart, who logged her fourth goal of the year with that tally. On that goal,
Avery Vacca was credited with the assist – the first assist of her career.
Unfortunately, that shot and goal by Hart would turn out to be the Lions' one and only shot in the game. Messiah piled on the pressure in the fourth quarter, scoring two goals in the span of about three minutes to secure the win. Up to that point, TCNJ's defense did an admirable job of bending but not breaking. TCNJ's
Brigitte Racey logged a season-high 10 saves in the contest, and
Rachael Tetzlaff made her fifth and sixth defensive saves of the year as well - her third game of the season with multiple defensive saves.
The Lions will look to get back into the win column in their next game – a home contest against Kean to kick off their NJAC schedule on Tuesday, October 7.
