How the Falcons got here: Messiah scored three goals in the second-half at Elizabethtown to stun the Blue Jays in the Commonwealth Championship. The win accounted for the Falcons' seventh-straight conference title and put them into their 13th-straight NCAA Championships Tournament.
 
Messiah has combined veteran leadership, experience, and youth this season to earn a 15-5 record. Four of their five losses (Salisbury, Ursinus, TCNJ, William Smith) have come to teams ranked in the NFHCA Top 20, with the losses to Ursinus and William Smith coming by just a single goal. They outscored opponents 70-27 and held opponents to just 10.2 shots per game.
 
Moriah Pfautz is ranked No. 8 in the NCAA with a 1.28 goals per game average and leads the Falcons with 23 goals and four assists. Brooke Sands and Celina Nissley have each scored 10 goals and collected three assists while Rachel Cox (7g, 6a), Caroline Wulf (5g, 6a), and Gina Kellett (4g, 5a) all have double-digit point totals. Becky Ely (3g, 3a), Jennie Kamel (2g, 4a), and Emily Bower (2g, 4a) have also been big contributors to the Falcons' No. 28-ranked 3.50 goals per game.
 
The Falcons have held opponents to just 1.35 goals per game and a 0.591 shots on goal percentage. In turn, Messiah is taking 20.7 shots per game, with .606 percent of their shots going on frame.
 
In the cage for the Falcons is goalie Molly Gebrosky. She's started all 20 games for the Falcons and holds a 1.45 goals against average and 0.750 save percentage. Gebrosky has come up big for the Falcons multiple times this season and, along with her defensive back line, will look to do more of the same for Messiah in NCAAs.

Location: Washington, D.C.
Head Coach: Gia Cillizza (12th season, 145-85)
2013 Record: 13-5, 4-2 Landmark Conference
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 3rd
Last NCAA Appearance Result: 2012 First Round loss, 4-3 (OT) to Lynchburg

How the Cardinals got here: Catholic won the Landmark Conference Championship for the third-straight season to earn the automatic qualifier into the NCAA Championships. This year they defeated Scranton University 2-0 in the conference final to avenge a 1-0 loss to the Royals just seven days prior. Catholic went 4-2 overall in the conference, with the loss to Scranton and a 2-1 loss to Drew.
 
Catholic's other three losses came to Elizabethtown (3-2 on Sept. 7), Mary Washington (1-0 on Sept. 24), and Christopher Newport (3-2 on Oct. 2). The Cardinals' most impressive win of the season came against then-No. 3 Salisbury, a 1-0 decision on Sept. 18.
 
Junior Kim Hermann leads the Cardinals with 14 goals and four assists, though she hasn't collected a point in the team's last three games. Still, she's scored two goals in four different games and is capable of carrying the offense. Rebecca Lukaszcyk and Taylor Elliot have each scored six goals while Hayley Wright (3g, 2a) Colleen Harwood (3g, 5a), and Maura Campbell (3g, 7a) provide depth and balance that will test the Falcons' backfield.

Messiah must also be aware of the Cardinals' propensity for collecting penalty corners; Catholic has earned an NCAA No.16-ranked 12.28 penalty corners per game and have out-cornered opponents 221-82 this season.
 
In the cage for Catholic is Megan Comunale. She's put up big numbers this season across 17 starts, including an NCAA No. 2-ranked 0.66 goals against average and No. 11-ranked .828 save percentage. She's only allowed one goal in her last eight games.