Commonwealth Semifinals: Friday, Nov. 2, at Messiah College
No. 1 Messiah vs. No. 4 Lebanon Valley, 5:30 p.m.
Tickets: Adults $5, Seniors $4, Students $2, Children 6-under Free
Grantham, PA – Messiah College women's soccer will look to earn their sixth-straight Commonwealth Championship this weekend, as they enter the annual league playoff with a No. 1 seed.
Season Snapshot
The Falcons completed their 11th straight undefeated regular-season in the conference this year, and they did so behind dominant play from all fields. Messiah led the Commonwealth in goals, assists, goals against average, and shutouts. The only team to outshoot Messiah was Elizabethtown (212 to 210 over nine games), while the Falcons' 41 goals in conference play were almost twice as many as the nearest competitor (Stevenson, 24).
Outside of the conference, the Falcons did much to earn their current No. 1 ranking the NSCAA Top 25 Poll. On their way to an overall record of 16-1-1, the Falcons collected a 0.27 goals against average and 3.44 goals per game average—good for 4th and 24th in the nation, respectively. Messiah also played through early-season tests, going 1-1-1 against then-No. 6 Emory, then-No.4 Johns Hopkins, and then No. 2 William Smith.
Scouting the Falcons
Messiah was the only team in the conference to average above two assists per game, as their 3.22 average demonstrated their ability to have a variety of players contribute to their attack. Look at any other measure, and this proves to be the case. Seniors
Rachel Scheibeler and
Alex Brandt led the Commonwealth with 21 points each, with junior
Alicia Frey (14 points) and freshman Nicki Elsaesser (12 points) ranked 3rd and 4th, respectively. Brandt, Scheibeler, and Elsaesser also all ranked in the top three for assists.
Over the entire season, the Falcons also received at least nine points this season from sophomore
Mackenzie Clapper (9) and freshman
Trisha Tshudy (12).
From the midfield and back, Messiah has also been dominant. Freshman keeper
Audra Larson carries a 0.22 goals against average in conference games, with the Falcons' eight shutouts in nine league games coming from a total team effort.
Elizabeth Phillips,
Ashley Locke,
Tannia Nieto,
Anne Trapp, and
Ali Rogers are all stalwarts for the Falcons' defense, with Messiah's depth off the bench proving to be a challenge to opposing teams. In total this season, Messiah has consented just five goals to their opponents on a total of just 77 shots (4.27 per game).
Scouting the Field
No. 4 Lebanon Valley – The Dutchmen went 6-2-1 in the Commonwealth this season, losing to both Messiah and Stevenson before tying Elizabethtown. LVC averaged exactly three goals per game, while allowing less than a goal to conference opponents. Senior Nicole Snyder—the reigning Co-Player of the Year in the Commonwealth—has collected six goals against league opponents, while junior Heather Tran is well-regarded as one of the better midfielders in the conference.
Becca Sykes has taken control of the goalkeeping duties as of late, posting a 0.60 goals against average across almost 600 minutes this season.
When They Met: Lebanon Valley was the only team to hold a lead over Messiah in the Commonwealth this season, and they did so by scoring two goals in 20 seconds in a game played on Oct. 13.
Messiah scored three unanswered goals in the second half for a thrilling come-from-behind win.
No. 3 Elizabethtown – The Blue Jays tied Stevenson with a 6-1-2 record in league play, and they ranked near the top of the league in multiple statistical categories. Etown led the conference in shots taken (212 in nine games), tallying 22 goals while allowing just 0.63 goals per game. Their goals per game mark placed them second behind only Messiah. Freshman Kaceyanne Cerankowski scored six goals in the Commonwealth, good for third best.
No. 2 Stevenson – Earning the No. 2 seed by way of a tie-breaker with Etown, the Mustangs proved to be a legitimate contender in the Commonwealth this season. They scored 24 goals over nine games, good for second-best, while holding opponents to just 0.64 goals per game. Sophomore midfielder Meghan Williams tallied 11 points in the league, the seventh-best mark. Freshman Allison Johnson holds a 0.29 goals against average for Stevenson in the net.
Messiah's Commonwealth Championships History
The Falcons earned their fifth-consecutive Commonwealth Championship in 2011, defeating Lebanon Valley College 5-1.
Messiah has advanced to the league finals in all 12 years with Coach Frey on the bench, winning 11 titles.
