GRANTHAM, Pa. – The top-seeded Messiah field hockey team is scheduled to open the MAC Commonwealth Tournament on Wednesday night with the semifinal round being played on Shoemaker Field against fifth-seeded Albright at 7:00 p.m. The Falcons are seeking their 15th-straight MAC Commonwealth Championship.
The Albright Lions are fresh off a 1-0 victory in the MAC Commonwealth Play-In Game on Monday night over the Widener Pride.
Second-seeded York and third-seeded Alvernia will square off in the other semifinal match on Wednesday night with the winner's meeting in the MAC Commonwealth Championship on Saturday, hosted by the highest seed.
Messiah has claimed a total of 27 conference championships in program history, while making 31 trips to the MAC Commonwealth Championship Game. The Falcons hold an overall record of 66-9 in the Conference Tournament and a mark of 59-7 while playing at home in the tournament.
Fans should note that since this is a Middle Atlantic Conference Postseason Tournament, tickets are required for all fans. The pricing for tickets are as follows: Adults: $6, Senior Citizens - $4, Students (valid ID) and Children - $2, Children under 6 – FREE.
See below for a quick preview of the MAC Commonwealth Tournament field:
No. 1 Messiah Falcons – 14-2 overall, 8-0 conference
After starting the season 2-2 with their losses against two of the top teams in the country, currently No. 1 Salisbury and No. 4 Johns Hopkins, Messiah has rattled off a dozen-straight victories to clinch the top seed in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament. In the Falcons' 12-straight wins to wrap up the regular season, Messiah has seven shutouts and has outscored their opponents 50-8. Messiah's offense is tops in the conference this season, averaging 3.56 goals per game while their defense ranks second, allowing .94 goals per game. York leads the conference with eight goals allowed on the year (.44 goals against average).
Players to Watch
#21
Ashlyn Smith – 13 goals, 9 assists, 35 points, 2 game-winning goals, 60 shots
#16
Mallory Kline – 10 goals, 1 assist, 21 points, 4 game-winning goals, 45 shots
#23
Kelsey Heltzel – 5 goals, 6 assists, 16 points, 2 game-winning goals, 29 shots
No. 5 Albright Lions – 9-9 overall, 4-4 conference
After starting the season 2-8, the Albright Lions went 5-1 down the stretch of the regular season to punch their ticket to the MAC Commonwealth Tournament. Needing a win over the Eastern Eagles on the final day of the regular season, Albright claimed a 1-0 victory to earn the fifth seed. Another 1-0 victory over Widener in the Play-In Game moved the Lions into the Semifinal against Messiah. This year's trip to the conference tournament is Albright's first since 2017.
Players to Watch
#7 Chelsea Johnson – 10 goals, 7 assists, 27 points, 54 shots
#9 Lamya Mejias – 9 goals, 4 assists, 22 points, 2 game-winning goals, 21 shots
#00 Veronica Heckman – 9-7 record, 103 saves, .774 save %, 1.86 GAA, 967 minutes played
When they Met
Messiah earned a 5-1 victory over the Albright Lions on Sept. 24. Five different Falcons scored in the victory with
Mallory Kline, Hailey Wormer,
Leah Bryner,
Megan North, and
Lauren Seubert all finding the back of the cage. For Albright, Chelsea Johnson connected as the Falcons outshot the Lions 18-2 in the match.
No. 2 York Spartans – 14-4 overall, 7-1 conference
Like Messiah, the Spartans have put together a very strong 2022 campaign. York has just four blemishes on their record with losses against current No. 1 Salisbury, No. 4 Johns Hopkins, No. 7 Messiah, and Susquehanna. The Spartans are ranked No. 13 in the country and have not allowed a goal since Oct. 12 in an overtime loss to Messiah. York's defense has allowed just eight goals this season while pitching 13 shutouts on the year. Their defense is ranked as the second-best in Division III this season, allowing .44 goals per game.
Players to Watch
#6 Katie Martino – 17 goals, 3 assists, 37 points, 6 game-winning goals, 39 shots
#11 Kat Knox – 11 goals, 1 assist, 23 points, 2 game-winning goals, 25 shots
#97 Belle Fields – 13-4 record, 38 saves, .826 save %, 0.53 GAA, 914 minutes played
When they Met
In Messiah's lone overtime game this season, the Falcons emerged with a 3-2 victory over the York Spartans on Oct. 12. The Falcons and Spartans traded goals with
Mallory Kline scoring the game winner just seven minutes into overtime to lift Messiah to the victory.
Ashlyn Smith also scored for the Falcons as Messiah outshot the Spartans 20-8 in the match. For York, Hannah Huffman and Riley Buschert connected in the match.
No. 3 Alvernia Golden Wolves – 13-5 overall, 6-2 conference
The Golden Wolves went 6-2 in the conference this season, to clinch the third seed in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament. Alvernia has been a little feast or famine this season. In their 13 victories they have scored all 52 of their goals on the year, while allowing 23 tallies. On the other hand, Alvernia has been shut five times, resulting in all five of their losses. In those losses, Alvernia has allowed 11 goals.
Players to Watch
#4 Abbie Buck – 7 goals, 5 assists, 19 points, 3 game-winning goals, 27 shots
#23 Brianna Burkholder – 8 goals, 2 assists, 18 points, 33 shots
#26 Lexi Boettcher – 12-4 record, 44 saves, .756 save %, 1.05 GAA, 853 minutes played
When They Met
The Falcons and Golden Wolves met back on Oct. 15 with the Falcons earning a 4-0 victory on Anderson Field. Messiah held a 23-11 advantage in shots with four different Falcons scoring in the match.
Carrie Bair,
Ashlyn Smith,
Mallory Kline, and
Lindsay McFeaters all scored goals and
Madi Johnson added a pair of assists in the shutout victory.
