GRANTHAM, Pa. - The Messiah men's soccer team is scheduled to host the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Tournament this weekend at Shoemaker Field. The Falcons will take on the Mount Aloysius Mounties on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. with the Kenyon Lords and the Catholic Cardinals squaring off in the other First Round Game at Shoemaker Field at 3:30 p.m.
The winners of Saturday's games will compete at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. Complete coverage for the weekend's events will be available at GoMessiah.com/NCAAmsoc21, with live streaming, live stats, postgame interviews, and articles linked on the page.
Please note, tickets are required for Admission to the NCAA First and Second Rounds. Tickets can be bought at the gate for the following admission prices: General Admission - $6, Senior Citizens - $3, Students - $3, Children (ages 3-12) - $2.
See below for a quick preview of the teams coming to Grantham:
No. 8 Messiah Falcons
16-1-2, 8-0-0 MAC Commonwealth
MAC Commonwealth Champions
Team Homepage | Roster | Schedule | Stats
The Falcons started the season 4-0-2, earning draws against Muhlenberg and Elizabethtown before claiming 10-straight victories to move to 14-0-2. The Falcons ended the regular season with a non-conference, 1-0 loss to Penn State Harrisburg, but rebounded nicely with a 2-0 victory over Stevenson and a thrilling 2-1 overtime win over Lebanon Valley to secure their 19th Conference Championship in program history.
The Falcons are the most successful NCAA Tournament team in Division III men's soccer history. Messiah has claimed 11 National Championships (all since 2000) and been in the Tournament 31 total times. Messiah holds an overall NCAA Tournament Record of 89-17-5 for a .824 winning percentage. The Falcons have advanced to 15 Final Fours and have outscored opponents 253-71 in Tournament Games.
Players to Watch:
Matt McDonald - Jr. - F - eight goals, three assists, First Team All-MAC Commonwealth
Trevor Goodling - Sr. - M - seven goals, three assists, First Team All-MAC Commonwealth
Jake Lent-Koop - Jr. - D - five goals, three game-winners, First Team All-MAC Commonwealth
Ben Lefever - Jr. - F - three goals, five assists, Second Team All-MAC Commonwealth
Mount Aloysius Mounties
10-5-4, 6-2-0 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference
Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Champions
Team Homepage | Roster | Schedule | Stats
After starting the season 2-4-4, the Mounties have been rolling as of late with eight wins in the last nine games, including a 2-1 victory over top-seeded Medaille in the Allegany Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Championship Game last weekend. During that strong stretch, Mount Aloysius has recorded four clean sheets and scored at least four goals on six different occasions.
The Mounties are making their second-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, previously advancing in 2015. As a team they earned seven All-Conference honors and are led by four First Team All-AMCC student-athletes.
Players to Watch:
Juan Camacho – Fr. – F – eight goals, three assists, First Team All-AMCC
Jonathan Fernandez – Jr. – M – five goals, two assists, First Team All-AMCC
Lachie Back – Jr. – M – four goals, three assists, First Team All-AMCC
Rhett Pletcher – So. – D – one goal, two assists, 1.26 team GAA, First Team All-AMCC
The Kenyon Lords know how to win soccer matches. After starting the season with a 2-1 loss to No. 20 John Carroll and drawing Hanover 1-1, the Lords rattled off 15-straight victories to advance to the North Coast Athletic Conference Championship Game. Facing Denison, the Lords dominated play, attempting 22 shots against just eight from the Big Red. Despite their heavy push, the Lords dropped a 1-0 decision in the contest and needed an At-Large bid to move into the NCAA Tournament.
The Lords are making their 17th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, including trips in each of the last eight seasons. Kenyon owns an overall record of 23-15-2 in the NCAA Tournament with a Runner-Up finish in 1996 and a final four appearance in 1993. The Falcons and Lords have met twice ever with each team picking up a win. Most recently, Messiah earned a 2-1 victory over Kenyon in the 2013 Sectional Semifinals.
Players to Watch:
Luke Muther - Sr. - M - one goal, four assists, First Team All-NCAC
Gerardo Martinez - Fr. - M - four goals, seven assists, First Team All-NCAC, NCAC Rookie of the Year
Scott Upton - Sr. - F - six goals, seven assists, First Team All-NCAC
Sebastian Gaese - Jr. - F - 10 goals, three assists, Second Team All-NCAC
The Catholic Cardinals went through a tough six-game stretch at the end of September into early October where they went 1-3-2. After a 1-1 draw against Scranton, the Cardinals held an overall record of 6-5-2 before ending the regular season by winning three of their last four games. In the Landmark Tournament, Catholic earned a 4-0 victory over Susquehanna and a 2-0 win over Drew to claim the Landmark Title and advance to the NCAA Tournament.
The Landmark Championship was Catholic's second-straight Conference Championship and they will be playing in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history. The Cardinals own a 1-5-0 overall record in the NCAA Tournament with their one victory coming over Coast Guard in the 2014 Tournament. Messiah and Catholic have played four times previously with the Falcons owning a 4-0-0 overall record. Their most recent meeting came in September of 2014 with Messiah earning a 4-0 win.
Players to Watch:
Darius Siahpoosh - Jr. - Jr. - M - 10 goals, three assists, First Team All-Landmark, Defensive Player of the Year
Gordie Bernlohr - So. - M - six goals, four assists, First Team All-Landmark
Paul Egan - Sr. - M - four goals, five assists, First Team All-Landmark
