Messiah 4, Carthage 1
GRANTHAM - The Carthage men's soccer concluded their weekend trip to Pennsylvania with a match against the Messiah Falcons on Saturday evening. It was a tough day for the Firebirds, who were handed their first loss of the season.



The Falcons jumped ahead early with a goal in the 18th minute from Kyle Spodnik. Messiah would take that 1–0 lead into the half. Aidan Crowder leveled the score quickly in the second half with a goal in the 52nd minute of play, with the assist coming from Mickey Reilly. The game did not stay tied for long, as a 55th minute goal would open the floodgates for the Falcons. Messiah added two more goals in the 59th and 60th minutes to cap off a 4-1 loss for the Firebirds.


 

• Crowder scored his fourth goal of the season.
• Reilly picked up his third assist of the year.

"It was a great game against one of the best teams in the country," said Head Coach Paul Leese. "It proved to be very even game with possession and opportunities on goal. Unfortunately, we were not able to put away our chances, whereas Messiah did, which is why they are a top program and 11 times national champions. I am pleased with our overall performance at this early stage of the season. The boys should now feel confident that they can compete with the very best in the country; and that will greatly aid our development this season."



Carthage soccer returns to Art Keller Field on Sept. 14 as the Firebirds host St. Norbert in the home opener. If you are unable to attend the game, be sure to catch all of the action on the Carthage Athletics YouTube page. For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.