Grantham, PA - Top-seeded Messiah College scored two second-half goals and stymied an aggressive Arcadia team to win 2-0 and earn the MAC Commonwealth Championship. Marisa Weaver and Ellie Lengacher each scored to support the team's fifth-straight shutout.

The Falcons' win solidified their 17th-straight trip the NCAA Division III National Championships Tournament. Brackets will be released for the Tournament on Monday afternoon.

Messiah's rankings in both the NSCAA Top 25 (No. 7) and Mideast Region (No. 1) guaranteed at least an at-large berth into the NCAA postseason, but they nevertheless battled to earn an impressive win over their newfound conference rival; Messiah defeated Arcadia 1-0 in last year's MAC Commonwealth title game, and they also defeated the Knights by a 1-0 score a week ago today on the Knights' turf in Glenside, Pa.

Today's match lived up to the billing, especially in a scoreless first-half that saw the teams combine for just three shots on goal. The Falcons had all three of those attempts, though the period was truly an end-to-end affair. The Falcons' most dangerous chances came of corner serves-- one in the fifth minute by Kayla Deckert and also one in the 43rd minute by Megan Mansfield. Both of those attempts went over the crossbar.

Arcadia also created a few dangerous moments in the first-half, their best one coming in the 19th minute off the foot of Karis Poore. She was left alone on the right side of the box, and a quick change of field gave her a clean look at Sara Yunez. But her shot sailed way over the bar, and she clapped her hands in recognition of the missed opportunity.

The intermission gave both teams a break from the physical play, and it also gave the Falcons a chance to regroup. The time with head coach Scott Frey was effective, too, as Messiah settled play and began to hold consistent territory in the second-half. And, much to the satisfaction of Messiah fans, it didn't take long for them to break the stalemate.

That moment came in the 50th minute when Messiah drew a foul 24 yards out from the goal on the left side. The Falcons gathered around the ball for the set play, and Marisa Weaver came through with brilliant strike that tucked inside the far post. The tally was eerily similar to last week's free kick goal by Missy Biener at Arcadia, the only goal of that match that came from almost the exact same spot on the field. This time, Biener collected the assist for her touch to Weaver.

Weaver's tally felt huge at the time, and again 13 minutes later when Arcadia lined up their own free kick from close to 30 yards out from Messiah's goal. Veronica Garcia took the shot, but it went over the goal.

Just a few minutes later DJ Cole came inches from increasing the lead when she turned into a shot from the left corner of the 18. Arcadia Evelyn Feigeles could not grab it out of the air, but it hit off the post and was cleared away.

In the 81st minute Messiah finally found some insurance when Brooke Firestone turned in on the right side of the box and chipped a shot to the far post. Feigeles was able to knock this one down, but Ellie Lengacher ran through it on the weak side to put Messiah up 2-0.

The tally all but sealed the game, and Messiah kept earning back possession until the final whistle.

As mentioned, the shutout was Messiah's fifth in five games, and it was also their 11th clean sheet in their past 12 games. In total Messiah allowed just a single shot on goal and, in a nod to the Falcons' defensive prowess, Kayla Deckert was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player.

The MAC Commonwealth Championship for Messiah is their 15th in 17 seasons, all under Scott Frey.

As mentioned, the NCAA Tournament brackets will be announced on Monday afternoon. Fans are encouraged to follow GoMessiah.com for a live link to the selection show.