BOX SCORE

Grantham, Pa. (Nov. 2, 2012) – Top-seeded Messiah College (18-0-1) used a pair of second-half goals to provide insurance in a 3-0 win over #4 Alvernia University (11-7-3) Friday evening in a Commonwealth Conference men's soccer semifinal at Messiah.

The Crusaders had the first golden opportunity to score in the 12th minute when Joe Raymond (Media, Pa./Strath Haven) was sent in on a one-on-one, but Messiah keeper Brandon West denied the effort to keep the game scoreless.

The Falcons had five shots over the next eight minutes including one that hit the post just under 20 minutes in.  The hosts tallied the first goal of the game in the 25th minute when Jack Thompson scored assisted by Mike Kovach.  Kovach fed the ball across to Thompson on the left side of the box and the sophomore forward deposited the ball in the upper corner inside the far post.

The score remained 1-0 Messiah through the first half thanks to five saves from Alvernia keeper Ben Diller (Etters, Pa./Red Land) and another post from the Falcons with under a minute left before the break.

The Falcons went up 2-0 10 minutes into the second half when Kovach set up his second goal of the game, this one by Josh Wood.  Kovach hit Wood with a throw-in and Wood scored from an impossible angle for a 2-0 lead.  Kovach scored the final goal of the game in the 84th minute cleaning up his own carom off the crossbar.

Diller finished with eight saves while West was credited with just the one stop on Raymond in the first half.

Alvernia returns home to await a potential ECAC South Region bid which will be announced on Monday.  The ECAC Quarterfinal is Wednesday.  Messiah advances to the Commonwealth Final on Sunday and will host Lebanon Valley College.

#1 Messiah 3, #4 Alvernia 0