GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah field hockey defeated visiting Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks on Wednesday evening, 3-0, in the NCAA Tournament First Round. With the victory, the Falcons advance to the next round to face the Babson College Beavers in Wellesley, Mass., on Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m.
Messiah and Babson last met in the 2016 NCAA Tournament Final Four as the Falcons prevailed, 5-2, going on to win their first-ever NCAA National Championship.
Read below for a quick preview of the upcoming NCAA Tournament matchup:
No. 9 Messiah University Falcons – MAC Commonwealth Champions – 17-2 Overall, 8-0 MAC Commonwealth
It has been a busy for Messiah field hockey, starting on Tuesday with the announcement of the MAC Commonwealth All-Conference teams. In addition to
Jennie Young being named MAC Offensive Player of the Year and head coach
Brooke Good claiming MAC Coach of the Year, a total of seven players were recognized.
Ashlyn Smith,
Nicole Shank, and Young all earned First-Team nods as junior goalkeeper
Catie Brubaker was honored a Second-Team accolade.
Makayla Malcolm,
Lauren Seubert, and
Claire Myers were all honored All-MAC Commonwealth honorable mentions.
In Messiah's NCAA First Round victory over the Ducks on Wednesday, the Falcons played a complete game from start to finish, playing with strong offensive urgency and making timely defensive plays. Smith recorded two tallies in the second quarter as Young added Messiah's third goal in the third period of play. With the Falcons ahead in the third quarter, 2-0, Myers notched her second defensive save of the season to preserve the two-goal lead. The stellar defensive play fueled the Falcons with momentum, finishing out the game after Young's 11th tally of the season to clinch the First Round matchup.
No. 3 Babson College Beavers – NEWMAC Champions – 20-1 Overall, 8-0 NEWMAC
Babson enters the NCAA Tournament having won 16-straight contests. Since losing to Middlebury College on Sep. 19, the Beavers have outscored their opponents, 75-11. The Beavers cruised through the NEWMAC Tournament, defeating WPI in the Semifinals, 5-0, and topping MIT in the conference final, 1-0.
Lauren Curley and Quinn Greer are each tied for the team-high in goals with eight tallies each. Curley has scored in six-consecutive games as Greer has recorded two multi-goal games on the season. Millie Bradley is the points-leader for the Beavers as her seven goals and nine assists is good for a team-high 23 points. Senior goalkeeper Cassidy Riley has made all 21 starts in cage for the Beavers, sporting an impressive .807 save percentage and a GAA 0.80.
The Beavers make their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the past five seasons, dating back to the 2016 campaign.
The Second Round matchup between the Falcons and Beavers will be action-packed as each team packs a high-powered offense. The winner of the contest will advance to play the winner of the Kean-Trinity, taking place on the same site at 2:00 p.m.
