| Messiah College Falcons (No. 1 NSCAA / No. 2 D3Soccer.com) |
| Location: Grantham, PA
Coach: Scott Frey (16th season, 338-17-19 at Messiah entering the weekend)
2015 Record: 20-0-2, 8-0 MAC Commonwealth
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 16th (54-8-5 all-time record entering weekend)
2015 NCAA First Round: 6-0 win over College of Staten Island
2015 NCAA Second Round: 3-0 win over Montclair State University
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Messiah as a Team in Top-40 National Statistics: The Falcons are first in shutout percentage (.864), second in GAA (.134), third in save percentage (.927), assists (81), goals (92), and points (265), and fifth in scoring offense (4.18 goals per game).
Messiah Players in Top-40 National Statistics: Nikki Elsaesser is second in points (70), fourth in goals (28), fifth in game-winning goals (7), and seventh in assists (14); Marisa Weaver is 21st in game-winning goals (6); Audra Larson is fourth in GAA (.153) and fifth in save percentage (.914).
How the Falcons got here: Messiah College is playing in their 16th-straight NCAA Tournament thanks to a 14th conference title over that same span. This season the Falcons also pushed their regular-season conference unbeaten streak to 105-0-3 dating back to the beginning of 2001.
Messiah collected two shutouts last weekend and Nikki Elsaesser scored four of the Falcons' nine goals to help the team get to the Sectionals.
Scouting the Falcons: The Falcons are the nation's No. 1 team thanks to both an imposing offense and a stingy defense. As the numbers above show, Messiah is among the best on all sides of the ball. Nevertheless, as they were reminded of last year in a Sectional Final defeat to Lynchburg, the Falcons know that nothing can be assumed at this point in the year.
Messiah's offense is led by seven double-digit scorers, with Nikki Elsaesser and her career-high goal (28) and assist (14) totals at the top. Kyele Bridel (13g, 9a) and Marisa Weaver (14g, 3a) are also above 30 points, and Holly Burgard (10g, 8a) hit the double-digit goal mark with a tally last weekend against Montclair State. Burgard has 28 total points, and Ally Reinhardt (8g, 2a), Erin Sollenberger (3g, 5a), and Kate Shults (3g, 4a) have all reached 10-plus points.
Messiah has been just as good in the midfield and on defense thanks in large part to center midfielder and MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Year Macaulay Soto, and fell All-Conference players Marisa DeMonte, Kayla Deckert, Missy Biener, and keeper Audra Larson. Summerly Merson was the only starting Messiah defender to not earn All-Conference honors, but she's carried just as much influence on the Falcons' defensive success as anyone else. In the net Larson carries a 0.153 GAA with a .914 save percentage, both career-best marks. She has picked up 11 shutouts this season and also owns the NCAA men's and women's soccer record for career shutouts (67 and counting).
Messiah played a strong schedule this season and earned solid wins over fellow NCAA Tourney participants No. 21 Johns Hopkins (5-0), Misericordia (3-0), Stevens (3-0), and PSU-Berks (6-0), and a draw against No. 3 William Smith (1-1).
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| Rowan University Profs (No. 18 NSCAA / No. 18 D3Soccer.com) |
| Location: Glassboro, NJ
Coach: Scott Leacott (17th season, 237-68-24 at Rowan entering the weekend)
2015 Record: 15-2-2, 6-1-2 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 11th (10-8-2 all-time record entering weekend)
2015 NCAA First Round: 2-0 win over Lasell College
2015 NCAA Second Round: 1-0 win over Lynchburg College
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Rowan as a Team in Top-40 National Statistics: The Profs are eighth in shutout percentage (.737), 10th in save percentage (.892), and 12th in GAA (.406).
Rowan Players in Top-40 National Statistics: Keeper Shelby Money is fourth in save percentage (.929) and sixth in GAA (.269).
How the Profs got here: Darah Wagner's header off a corner kick serve in the 89th minute vaulted the Profs past defending National Champion Lynchburg and into the Sectional Semifinal. The tally was Wagner's first since Sept. 30 and it was arguably their biggest goal of the season.
Rowan is riding a seven-game win streak that included a 2-1 NJAC Conference Championship win over TCNJ on Nov. 6. That victory gave them the AQ into the NCAA Tournament, and they're appearing the Sectional Semifinal for the second time in program history.
Scouting the Profs: Rowan went unbeaten in nine of their first 10 matches this season (8-1-1) and, as mentioned, they're riding a seven-game win streak entering the weekend. Their offense is led by four double-digit scorers including First Team All-NJAC forward Maxine New. She leads the team with nine goals and 21 points and, uniquely, has started just five games this season. New has also netted five game-winners and she served the corner for Wagner's winning goal over Lynchburg. She's flanked by second-leading scorer Melissa Kelly (5g, 3a) and NJAC co-Rookie of the Year Darah Wagner (5g, 2a). Those two have scored 13 points and 12 points, respectively, and Cathryn McCarry has contributed five goals and a single assist to round out the top scorers.
The Prof's defense is led by First Team All-NJAC honoree Emily Daigle and goalkeeper Shelby Money. Those two have led a stingy backfield that's allowed just eight goals all season. Money has been terrific in the net for Rowan as she holds a save percentage of .929 and GAA of .269. She's started 11 games this season—including five-straight—and she's collected seven shutouts. Overall, the Profs have allowed more than five shots on goal to their opponents in just five games.
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| Hardin-Simmons University Cowgirls (RV NSCAA / No. 15 D3Soccer.com) |
| Location: Abilene, TX
Coach: Marcus Wood (16th season, 287-34-23 at Hardin-Simmons entering weekend)
2015 Record: 19-2-1, 9-1 American Southwest Conference
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 15th (19-12-6 all-time record entering weekend)
2015 NCAA First Round: 3-1 win over UC Santa Cruz
2015 NCAA Second Round: 2-0 win over Trinity (TX)
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Hardin-Simmons as a Team in Top-40 National Statistics: The Cowgirls are first in assists (91), second in goals (110), points (311), and scoring offense (5.00 gpg), 13th in shutout percentage (.682), and 20th in GAA (.500).
Hardin-Simmons Players in Top-40 National Statistics: Kami Jones is third in assists (15), fifth in points (65), and 11th in goals (25); Josey Meye is 10th in assists (13); Kenne Kessler is 18th in points (51), 19th in assists (11), and 19th in goals (20); Jordan Lara is 19th in assists (11) and 30th in points (43); keeper Lexi Stinson is 18th in GAA (.460) and 28th in save percentage (.875).
How the Cowgirls got here: By scoring tons of goals. HSU can score at an elite level and they boast four players with double-digit goal totals. They've scored at least three goals in 16 of 22 games thus far, and they've hit at least seven goals in seven different matches. Hardin-Simmons grabbed the American Southwest Conference title for the 13th-straight season for the AQ into the NCAA Tournament.
The Cowgirls' biggest win thus far was their most recent: 2-0 over No. 2 Trinity (TX) to advance into the Sectional Semifinal.
Scouting the Cowgirls: The Cowgirls are very good defensively, but the offensive numbers pop off the stat sheet. Kami Jones leads the team in goals (25), assists (14), points (65) and game-winners (4) and this season she was named the co-Offensive Player of the Year for the conference. Kenne Kessler is the second of eight double-digit point scorers, and she boasts 20 goals and 11 assists. She was also named the conference Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Jordan Lara (16g, 11a), Josey Meye (11g, 13a), and Kristen Parrish (8g, 4a) are also 20-plus point scorers.
Midfielder Shannon Byrd and defenders Parrish and Sarah Krisa—the conference Defensive Rookie of the Year—protect the goal and keeper Lexi Stinson. The back line has relented just 11 goals all season, and Stinson holds a .460 GAA and .868 save percentage in 11 in 21 starts. Stinson has nabbed four shutouts and has at least three saves in each of her past five games.
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| Swarthmore College Garnets (No. 10 NSCAA / No. 16 D3Soccer.com) |
| Location: Swarthmore, PA
Coach: Todd Anckaitis (11th season, 132-61-22 at Swarthmore entering weekend)
2015 Record: 18-2-1, 9-0-1 Centennial Conference
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2nd (2-1-0 all-time record entering weekend)
2015 NCAA First Round: 5-2 win over St. Joseph's College
2015 NCAA Second Round: 1-0 win over Catholic University
Swarthmore as a Team in Top-40 National Statistics: The Garnets are fourth in assists (74), fifth in points (238), and seventh in goals (82), scoring offense (3.90 gpg), GAA (.331), save percentage (.907), and shutout percentage (.762).
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Swarthmore Players in Top-40 National Statistics: Melissa Trofa is 10th in assists (13); keeper Reba Magier is 12th in
save percentage (.897) and 13th in GAA (.386); Hannah Lichtenstein and Marin McCoy are both 36th in assists (10).
How the Garnet got here: The Garnet are having the best season in program history thanks to imposing play on all sides of the ball. They've allowed just seven goals all season and they've tallied 82 themselves, and they've given up just 8.6 shots to opponents each time out. Swarthmore received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after dropping a 2-1 decision to Johns Hopkins in the Centennial Conference Championship.
Scouting the Garnet: Swarthmore boasts seven players in double-digit points including First Team All-Centennial forwards Marin McCoy (15g, 10a) and Hannah Lichenstein (12g, 10a). Katie Dougherty (11g, 5a) and Caroline Khanna (8g, 6a) round out the 20-point scorers. Melissa Trofa is a noticeable point producer with a single goal and 13 assists to her credit.
Midfielder Mirdan Saldivar and defender Melissa Curran lead a terrific midfield and back line effort that has a 0.331 GAA. Keeper Reba Magier has been outstanding in the net with a save percentage of .897 and personal GAA of .386. Magier has collected seven shutout this season, but she has allowed four goals in her past three games.
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