GRANTHAM, Pa. – The top-ranked Salisbury University field hockey team hit the road on Saturday afternoon in what was perhaps the biggest game of the Sea Gulls' early season to square off against No. 2-ranked Messiah College. It was a rematch of the 2009 NCAA Division III Field Hockey national championship game in which Salisbury captured the program's fifth national title, but the Sea Gulls were unable to repeat the feat and the Falcons came away with a 3-0 win.

The Sea Gulls (5-1, 1-0 Capital Athletic Conference) have been here before. In the 2009 season, Salisbury fell to Messiah, 3-2 in overtime, in the regular season (Sept. 19). It was the maroon and gold's only loss of the year. Roughly two months later Salisbury took the field in South Hadley, Mass., to once again face the Falcons, this time for the national championship, earning a 1-0 victory.

On Saturday, Salisbury was edged by Messiah in both shots and corner opportunities and could not seem to find its typical offensive rhythm. The Sea Gulls finished the game with five penalty corner chances; the Falcons had 14. Junior goalkeeper Anna Cooke posted two saves. Senior back Ashley Kisner and junior back Shannon Hanratty registered one defensive save apiece.

Messiah (4-1) senior Julie Barton led the way for the Falcons, earning an assist on the first goal of the game before scoring the second and third goals off of assists from classmate Amber (Philpot) Good.

The loss marks the first time Salisbury has been shut out since Sept. 17, 2008. Since that loss, a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Johns Hopkins University, the Sea Gulls have racked up an astounding 25 shutout victories of their own.

The maroon and gold will return home on Sept. 22 to face CAC opponent Stevenson University. The game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.