GRANTHAM, Pa. – After claiming its sixth National Championship in 2019, Messiah women's soccer is set to kick off its 2021 campaign on the road at Stevens Institute of Technology on Wednesday, September 1, at 7:00 p.m. With the 2020 season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Falcons will be National Title defenders throughout the whole season.
Messiah was tabbed as MAC Commonwealth favorites in the annual Preseason Coaches' Poll, ranking first with a total of 64 points.
The Falcons will return to Shoemaker Field for their home-opener on Saturday, September 4, when they square off with William Smith in an epic rematch of the 2019 National Championship Game.
See below for a quick preview of the 2021 season:
A Look Back
Messiah women's soccer was the last team standing in 2019, ending with an overall record of 22-1-2 (.904%). Ironically, its only loss was to William Smith, 2-0, which was later avenged when the Falcons topped the Herons, 1-0, in the National Championship game.
Messiah breezed through its conference schedule, going 7-0-1 in its eight conference contests, outscoring opponents 37-2. In the MAC Commonwealth Tournament, the Falcons bested both Albright College (6-0) and Arcadia University (3-0) at Shoemaker Field to capture their 17th MAC Commonwealth Championship. The late season momentum continued for Messiah, winning all six of its NCAA Tournament games to claim the National Championship.
Roster
Messiah's roster is promising entering the season, returning a total of 15 players from the championship-clinching 2019 squad, while welcoming several newcomers who will be eager to make contributions on the field. The Falcons welcome back
Kayla Herr to the midfield, a 2019 All-MAC Commonwealth First Team selection, while also returning goalkeeper
Lydia Watkins, a Second Team selection in 2019. Watkins started 25 games in goal during the National Championship season, posting a 0.34 GAA, while Herr contributed five goals and an assist, starting all 26 mathces. Other notable returners include
Rebecca Ritchie (eight goals, five assists),
Brianna Seip (six goals, one assist),
Shelby Burger (three goals, three assists), and
Rachael Tirjan (four goals).
Courtney Dunlop also returns to Messiah in 2021, making one start in between the pipes during the 2019 campaign.
The Falcons welcome 12 new faces to the roster since 2019 season (five first-years, five sophomores, and two transfers).
The first-year players are
Michaela Elliott,
Emma Herrmann,
Kristina Akselsen,
Bella Touzeau, and
Manon Bada. A group of sophomores who made contributions in an abbreviated spring 2021 schedule include
Raegan Salamone,
Kaitlyn Laird,
Olivia Shuck,
Thea Neimond, and
Jenna Skurcenski, while the two transfer players are
Kenzie Spodnik (Dallas Baptist University) and
Maddie Hughes (Wingate University). This group of fresh faces will look to make contributions all season long in the Falcons' National Title defense efforts.
Schedule
Messiah opens on the road in Hoboken, N. J., at Stevens on Wednesday. After returning to Shoemaker Field for a rematch of the 2019 pinnacle match, the Falcons hit the road for four-consecutive road games, traveling to Johns Hopkins University (9/8), University of Mary Washington (9/11), McDaniel College (9/15), and Wilkes University (9/18). The MAC Commonwealth competition begins on Saturday, October 2, when Messiah travels to York College (Pa.) to clash with the Spartans. The Falcons' home conference matches are opposite Lebanon Valley College (10/9), Alvernia University (10/12), Widener University (10/23), and Hood College (10/26). In 2021, Messiah looks to win its third-straight MAC Commonwealth Championship, and its fifth in the past six seasons.
Coaches
Scott Frey returns to the helm of Messiah women's soccer for his 22nd year. Frey has led the Falcons to all six of their National Championships, and his .919 winning percentage qualifies him as the winningest NCAA men's or women's soccer coach with 10 or more years of coaching experience. Joining Frey on the sideline as assistant coaches are
Todd Balsbaugh,
Holly Hoy,
Brooke Thomas, and
Elisa Warren.
Follow the Falcons during their 2021 campaign right here at GoMessiah.com!
