GAMBIER, Ohio – No. 19 Messiah College dealt No. 20 Kenyon College a 2-0 defeat in the first round of the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament Wednesday afternoon at McBride Field. The contest was the first-ever meeting between the two schools

It was also the first appearance in the tournament for the Ladies since 2007.

The Falcons got all the scoring they needed in the 23rd minute. Taylor Holt put back a rebounded shot from teammate Carissa Gehman into the back of the box giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Kenyon had two opportunities after the Messiah goal from Shannon Hart and Cecilia Depman but a save from goalkeeper Carly Day and a team save from Brittany Horst squashed those opportunities.

In the second half, the Falcons' offense generated more pressure on the Ladies' defense.

Messiah, who brought in one of the best offenses in Division III, out-shot Kenyon 9-3.

Gehman, the team's leading scorer, tallied her 26th goal of the year in the 62nd minute after a penalty corner from Holt.

The Ladies tried to rally late with an on-goal shot from Hart and another from Maddie Breschi but neither found the goal.

The Falcons out-shot the Ladies 18-8 and held an 8-4 advantage in penalty corners.

Kenyon completes its season with the most wins in program history (19). It was also the final game for seniors Rachel Hall, Julie Freedman, Sammy Johnston, and Depman.