OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Nikki Elsaesser and Alex Brandt each had one goal and one assist as defending NCAA national champion and third-ranked Messiah defeated the Stevenson women's soccer team, 4-0 in a Commonwealth Conference contest Saturday at Mustang Stadium.

Saturday marked the first game for the Mustangs (6-4, 0-1 MAC) in the Commonwealth Conference its second against a team ranked in the top 10 of the NSCAA Division III National Poll. They also fell to No. 6 Johns Hopkins at home on September 12, 3-1.

The Falcons (8-1-1, 1-0 MAC), winners of the last five Commonwealth Conference championships, only held a 10-4 edge in shots and a 4-0 margin in corner kicks, but they made the most of their limited opportunities, scoring all four goals in a span of just 2:39.

Brandt opened the scoring in the 14th minute, her her team-leading fifth goal of the season off an assist from Elsaesser before Rachel Scheibeler scored just 40 seconds later off a feed from Brandt to give Messiah a 2-0 halftime lead.

In the second half, Alicia Frey scored unassisted at 56:52 before Elsaesser also netted her fifth goal of the season at 58:51 to cap the scoring.

Junior Lauren Weitzman (Westminster, Md./Winters Mill) made two saves in 59:50 before giving way to freshman Allison Johnson (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenape) who finished the final 30 minutes.

The Mustangs resume action on Tuesday when they travel to Lebanon Valley. Kickoff is at 4:00 p.m.