GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah women's lacrosse team earned the top-seed in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament after completing their first-ever undefeated regular season thanks to a 13-0 overall record. The Falcons are set to host the eighth-seeded Alvernia Golden Wolves at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening on the Lacrosse Turf in the MAC Commonwealth Quarterfinals. A trip to Thursday's MAC Commonwealth Semifinals is on the line with the Messiah vs. Alvernia winner taking on the winner of the No. 4 Stevenson and No. 5 Lebanon Valley Quarterfinal.
See below for a quick preview of Tuesday's MAC Commonwealth Quarterfinal against the Alvernia Golden Wolves.
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No. 1 Messiah Falcons – 13-0 overall, 8-0 conference
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As mentioned, the Falcons completed their first undefeated season in program history, with a perfect 13-0 overall record and a clean 8-0 mark in the MAC Commonwealth. Messiah has been getting it done on both sides of the ball this season. Offensively, the Falcons are led by recent National Player of the Week and four-time MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Rachel Delate. With 43 goals and 42 assists in 13 games, Delate is averaging a conference-leading 6.54 points per game this year, also good for 11th in the country this year.
With Delate leading the charge, Messiah brings the 10th most potent offense in the country into the MAC Commonwealth Tournament with an 18.54 goals per game average.
While the Falcons bring a dangerous offense Messiah's defense has been just as stellar. The Falcons have allowed just 59 goals on the season for a 4.54 goals against average. They are one of four teams in the country to rank in the top-10 in both scoring offense and defense. Messiah's average margin of victory is currently eighth in the country at 14.00 goals per game.
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No. 8 Alvernia Golden Wolves - 4-9 overall, 1-7 conference
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The Golden Wolves turned in a 4-9 overall record this season with a 1-7 mark in the MAC Commonwealth. The Golden Wolves' only conference victory came on Mar. 24 with a 21-10 win over the Eastern Eagles at home, but they do have sizable non-conference victories over Delaware Valley (19-5), Arcadia (17-3), and DeSales (18-7).
The Golden Wolves are led by Erika Whitmoyer's 32 goals and 16 assists, good for seventh in the conference with 3.69 points per game. Despite Whitmoyer's efforts, Alvernia has been outscored 200-128 on the season. Their 128 goals across 13 games comes out to a 9.84 scoring average, seventh best in the conference.
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When They Met
The Falcons and Golden Wolves have met twice this season with the Falcons earning double-digit victories in both of their meetings. The Falcons earned a 21-7 victory in Grantham on Mar. 20 before picking up a 19-3 win at Alvernia on Apr. 3.
Rachel Delate led the Flacons in both meetings with seven points in each while
Amanda Wadsworth picked up a total of nine points across the two meetings with four goals and five assists.
Abby Howard netted five goals in their second meeting after picking up four tallies in their first tilt for nine total scores against the Golden Wolves this season.
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How to Follow
Messiah will host the Golden Wolves at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening for the MAC Commonwealth Quarterfinals. The Messiah Athletics Spectator policy will still be in effect for All MAC Commonwealth Championship Tournaments this spring, allowing current Messiah students, staff, and faculty to attend the contests, but No off-campus visitors will be allowed at Messiah Athletic events.
Fans are encouraged to follow the action with a live stream of the contest available on GoMessiah.tv. Live stats of the MAC Commonwealth Quarterfinals can be found at gomessiah.com/wlaxstats.
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MAC Commonwealth Tournament History
In recent history, the Falcons have been the team to beat in the MAC Commonwealth, winning four of the last five Conference Championships contested. The Falcons won four-straight Championships from 2015-2018, before being knocked off in the semifinals during the 2019 season. In total, Messiah has won seven Conference Championships in women's lacrosse, claiming MAC Titles in 2006, 2009, and 2011 prior to their recent run of four-straight.
Overall, in conference postseason play, Messiah holds a 17-10 record with seven Conference Championships, three Runner-Up finishes, and an impressive 16-4 record at home in the Conference Tournament.
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