Box Score GRANTHAM, Pa. -- Playing its second nationally-ranked opponent in just over 48 hours, the Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team kept No. 9 Messiah College within its sights before the Falcons scored twice in a little over seven minutes early in the second half and posted a 3-0 victory Monday evening at Shoemaker Field.
The shutout was the third in three matches for Eastern (1-2-0), which blanked Mass College, 6-0, in its season-opener five days ago before dropping a 1-0 overtime decision to No. 18-ranked Franklin & Marshall College Saturday afternoon.
The winningest men's soccer team in Division III history with 11 national titles, Messiah (2-0-0) took a 1-0 lead into the second half against the Warriors and broke the game open when Luke Brautigam and Trevor Goodling scored into the upper part of the net 7:29 apart against Eastern sophomore keeper
Dylan Pallanck (Willington) in the opening minutes of the second half. Goodling's assist had set up Jonathan Groothoff in the 9
th minute of the game to give the Falcons the early lead.
Messiah missed wide on its first shot of the match in the fifth minute, but broke through three minutes later to take an early lead that would stand up. Eastern senior forward
Emmanuel Agyemang (East Hartford) collected Eastern's first shot that was saved by Messiah keeper Jared Pavlovich in the ninth minute.
Messiah outshot Eastern, 20-7 and amassed a 9-3 advantage in corner kicks.
Pallanck made one save and was charged with all three Messiah goals before freshman
Nathan Yeich (Willington) shut out the Falcons over the final 21 minutes, making two outstanding saves and stopping three attempts in all to keep the margin at three goals. Pavlovich made four saves.
Eastern hosts Worcester State University Saturday at 1 p.m. in a non-conference match at Thomas Nevers Field.
