GRANTHAM, Pa. – The No. 9 nationally-ranked Messiah field hockey team will compete in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament this week as the top seed, clashing with visiting No. 4 Alvernia University in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament Semifinals on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. The Falcons concluded their 2021 regular season slate with an overall record of 14-2, clinching a perfect conference record (8-0) for the sixth-consecutive season.
Messiah is making its 36th MAC postseason appearance, pursuing its 14th-straight conference crown, and ninth-straight under current head coach
Brooke Good.
Tickets are required for all MAC Tournament contests and can be purchased at the gate for the following prices: Adults - $5, Senior Citizens - $4, Students (with ID) and Children - $2, Children under 6 - Free.
See below for a quick preview of the 2021 MAC Commonwealth Tournament field:
No. 1 Messiah University Falcons – 14-2 Overall, 8-0 MAC Commonwealth
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Roster |
Stats
How we got here:
The top-seeded Falcons have been a formidable force all season long. Entering the postseason as winners of seven-straight, Messiah swept its MAC Commonwealth conference schedule, outscoring its conference opponents 37-7. The Falcons lost to two top-ten opponents, falling to both Salisbury University and Ursinus College at home in September.
Messiah has had a phenomenal defensive season, tied for the conference lead for least amount of goals allowed (16).
Players to watch:
Jennie Young – Sr. – Forward – nine goals, eight assists, one game-winning goal
Makayla Malcolm – Jr. – Forward – 11 goals, one assist, two game-winning goals
Ashlyn Smith – Jr. – Midfielder – eight goals, four assists, three game-winning goals
Catie Brubaker – Jr. – Goalkeeper – 1.07 GAA, 0.720 save pct., 13-2 record
No. 2 York (Pa.) College Spartans – 14-4 Overall, 7-1 MAC Commonwealth
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Roster |
Stats
How they got here:
The Spartans enter the conference tournament after winning sixth of their past seven contests. York has a high-powered offense, ranked first in the conference in total shots (340) and third in goals (54). Riding a conference winning streak of six games, the Spartans outscored their opponents 12-0 in their final three conference contests.
Players to watch:
Hannah Huffman – Jr. – Forward – 14 goals, five assists, four game-winning goals
Maggie Spadafora – Fr. – Midfielder – Eight goals, five assists, one game-winning goal
Sam Collis – Sr. – Forward – Eight goals, three assists, two game-winning goals
Kaitlyn Wallace – Junior – Goalkeeper – 1.17 GAA, 0.909 save pct., 14-4 record
When they met:
The Falcons and Spartans squared off on Sept. 25 at Anderson Field for the conference-opener. Messiah prevailed, 4-1, behind goals from
Teagan Murrie (2),
Jennie Young, and
Nicole Shank. York dropped its first conference contest in Grantham, Pa., proving to be the squad's only conference loss of the season.
No. 3 Widener University Pride – 13-4 Overall, 5-3 MAC Commonwealth
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Roster |
Stats
How they got there:
Widener earned the third seed of the MAC Commonwealth Tournament after claiming five of its eight conference matchups, topping Eastern University, 4-1, in its final contest of the season. The Pride lead the MAC Commonwealth in total goals (67), sporting a conference-best 3.94 average goals-per-game mark. Widener has been buttoned up defensively as well, tied with the Falcons with the least amount of goals allowed (16).
The Pride had their most dominant game of the season at home versus Neumann University (Oct. 2), using a 12-goal scoring outburst to win 12-0.
Players to watch:
Madi Radnoff – Sr. – Midfielder – 15 goals, six assists, four game-winning goals
Erin Callahan – Sr. – Midfielder/Forward – 11 goals, five assists, two game-winning goals
Margaret Howe-Consiglio – Jr. – Forward – Eight goals, four assists, two game-winning goals
Kylie Haberstroh – Fr. – Goalkeeper – 0.93 GAA, 0.761 save pct., 13-4 record
When they met:
Messiah traveled to Widener on Oct. 9, battling the Pride in a double-overtime thriller. The Falcons came out on top, clinching the victory, 3-2, behind two penalty stroke goals from junior defender
Lauren Seubert. Messiah outshot Widener, 18-10, as
Nicole Shank also contributed a tally in the victory.
No. 4 Alvernia University Golden Wolves – 9-10 Overall, 5-3 MAC Commonwealth
Schedule |
Roster |
Stats
How they got here:
Alvernia bested visiting No. 5 Lebanon Valley College, 2-1, on Monday night in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament Play-In game. The Golden Wolves conceded an early goal within the first 10 minutes of the game, but equalized just before halftime, scoring the game-winning goal in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter to set up a Semifinal matchup with the Falcons. Alvernia has an away record of 4-6 throughout its 2021 campaign.
Players to watch:
Madison Potthoff – Gr. – Midfielder – Seven goals, four assists, one game-winning goal
Felicia Getz – Jr. – Forward – Four goals, four assists, one game-winning goal
Brooke Spezialetti – Sr. – Defender – Four goals, four assists, two game-winning goals
Gianna DeGregory – Fr. – Defender – Four goals, two game-winning goals
When they met:
The Falcons clashed with Alvernia on the road on Oct. 9, proving to be a close affair between the two sides. Messiah trailed the Golden Wolves, 1-0, entering the final quarter of play, before
Makayla Malcolm notched two tallies to propel the Falcons to victory. The game was tightly-contested, as Alvernia edged the Falcons in total shots (11-10).
