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GRANTHAM, Pa. – A second-half goal sunk the State University of New York at New Paltz women’s soccer team (14-6-3), as top-ranked Messiah College (20-0-1) knocked off the Hawks in the third round of the 2011 NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Shoemaker Field on the campus of Messiah.

After junior forward Samantha Abravanel (Islip, N.Y./Islip) was denied a one-on-one opportunity in the 72nd minute, the Falcons regrouped, and Lisa Wingard drove down the right flank for approximately 40 yards. Wingard uncorked a shot from the top of six-yard box from the right-hand side, and she found the back of the net just inside the left post.

Strong defensive pressure inside the 18-yard box and stellar play from junior goalkeeper Stephanie Vega (Oceanside, N.Y./Baldwin Senior) kept the Hawks in the game, as the Falcons played almost the entirety of the contest in their attacking third. Messiah outshot New Paltz by a 25-3 edge on the afternoon and earned 11 corner kicks to the Hawks’ one.

In the ninth minute, the Falcons nearly opened scoring, as Rachel Scheibeler was alone on the right wing, and instead of going straight to goal, she pushed a centering pass to the middle of the penalty area. The Falcons were unable to capitalize on the opportunity, and the score remained deadlocked at zero.

Alex Brandt forced Vega to spring into action at 14:31, firing a hard right-footed shot from around 13 yards out. Brandt nearly scored again in the 26th minute, blasting a left-footed strike from around 16 yards out, but Vega once again came up with the stop.

Right before halftime, Messiah earned a corner-kick opportunity, and the play in off the corner found the head of Elizabeth Phillips. The ball sailed to the right of Vega, but junior midfielder Beth Bowling (Islip, N.Y./Islip) was there to clear the attempt off the goal line, giving Messiah its first scoreless first half since it drew with William Smith College, 0-0, on Sept. 10.

The Falcons continued to gain scoring chances in the second half. Hench headed a ball in the 52nd minute that required a punch save by Vega, and an outstretched Vega turned aside a left-footed strike from Brandt in in the 66th minute. Less than a minute later, a Kelsey Gorman shot with too much touch lofted right into Vega’s hands, which was the last big save before Messiah captured the lead with the 72nd-minute goal.

At 76:26, New Paltz was whistled for a foul just outside of the penalty area, and Alicia Frey ripped a direct kick that went right to Vega. While the Falcons continued to possess and pressure, the Hawks ended up having their first real scoring opportunity of the match in the final three minutes.

Senior midfielder Alexa Balestrieri (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) took a corner kick in the 88th minute—the team’s first of the match—and the ball hooked in to the scramble inside the box. Abravanel put a head on it, but Messiah’s goalkeeper Autumn Reilly made a crucial stop, and Phillips cleared the ball out to prevent New Paltz from taking a second-chance attempt.

In total, Vega made a season-high 14 saves in the losing effort, while Reilly made two stops in the shutout victory for the Falcons.

The loss ended a magical run for the Hawks, who enjoyed their best season in program history with a 14-6-3 overall record. After winning its first-ever conference title, New Paltz reprised the role of the underdog in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship Tournament.  In the first round, the Hawks advanced on penalty kicks, 3-2, after playing Lynchburg College to a scoreless tie, and in the second round, they topped Rowan University, 2-1, in overtime.

Junior forward Shelby Kondelka (Bloomingburg, N.Y./Pine Bush) tied the single-season program record in assists with six on the season, and Vega’s 13 shutouts easily established a single-season program mark.