GRANTHAM, Pa. – On Saturday afternoon, the Messiah field hockey team won its 15th-consecutive MAC Commonwealth Championship after taking down the visiting York College Spartans 2-0. Now, the Falcons are gearing up to make their 35th appearance in the NCAA Tournament this weekend when they travel to Rowan University for the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. Messiah (16-2, 8-0 MAC Commonwealth) will play against the Tufts University Jumbos (13-6, 7-3 NESCAC) on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 2:00 PM.
The Falcons enter the national tournament with a National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) national rank of five, pursuing their second NCAA Division III National Championship in program history (2016).
Fans should note that since this is an NCAA Tournament event, tickets are required for all fans. The pricing for tickets are as follows: Adults: $5, Senior Citizens - $3, Students (valid ID) - $3, and Children - $2, Children under 2 – FREE. Tickets are available at the gate, cash only.
See below for a quick preview of the four teams heading to Glassboro, N.J. for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8.
No. 5 Messiah University Falcons
16-2, 8-0 MAC Commonwealth
MAC Commonwealth Champions
Team Homepage |
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Stats
Location: Grantham, Pa.
Coach:
Brooke Good (10th season, 177-36 with the Falcons)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 35th (56-33 Tournament Record)
Best NCAA Tournament Finish: National Champions (2016)
Players to Watch
#21
Ashlyn Smith – Senior forward – 15 goals, nine assists
#16
Mallory Kline – Freshman forward – 11 goals, two assists
#96
Catie Brubaker – Senior goalkeeper – 0.99 GAA, 0.775 save pct., 15-2 record
Messiah swept its conference schedule, including the two postseason competitions last week. The Falcons led the MAC Commonwealth in average goals/game (3.61), and margin of victory of 2.72 which is also a conference-best mark.
Ashlyn Smith leads the conference in points with 39 and is second in goals with 15.
Mallory Kline is second in the conference with five game-winning goals.
No. 6 Tufts University Jumbos
13-6, 7-3 New England Small College Athletic Conference
At-Large Bid
Team Homepage |
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Location: Medford, Mass.
Coach: Tina Mattera (18th season, 254-77 with the Jumbos)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 13th (22-11 Tournament Record)
Best NCAA Tournament Finish: National Champions (2012)
Players to Watch
#17 Reegan McCluskey – Senior midfielder – 11 goals, four assists
#9 Mia D'Angelo – Sophomore midfielder - six goals, four assists
#77 Sam Gibby – Senior goalkeeper – 1.18 GAA, 0.770 save pct. 13-6 record
The Jumbos (13-6) came off a 2-0 loss in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title game Sunday but earned an at-large bid and played Castleton on Wednesday. The Jumbos won 4-1 to secure a second-round matchup against Messiah. Tufts ranked tenth in the NESCAC averaging 1.867 goals per game led by Reegan McCluskey who was tenth in the conference in scoring.
History Against Messiah
Messiah all time is 1-1 against Tufts, with the last meeting coming in the 2016 National Championship where Messiah won 1-0 (2-1) in penalty strokes to claim the Falcons first NCAA National Title.
No. 3 Rowan University Profs
19-1, 6-0 New Jersey Athletic Conference
New Jersey Athletic Conference Champions
Team Homepage |
Roster |
Schedule |
Stats
Location: Glassboro, N.J.
Coach: Michelle Andre (Seventh season, 113-29 with the Profs)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 22nd (20-20 Tournament Record)
Best NCAA Tournament Finish: National Championship (2002)
Players to Watch
#34 Julia Patrone – Sophomore forward – 24 goals, 10 assists
#7 Kristiina Castagnola – Graduate Midfielder – 18 goals, nine assists
#25 Vanessa DiDonato – Sophomore Forward – 15 goals, four assists
#77 Abby Hainsworth– Senior goalkeeper – 0.839 GAA, 0.784 save pct., 19-1 record
The Profs also swept its conference schedule, including the two postseason competitions last week. The Profs led the NJAC in average goals/game (4.90), and margin of victory with 3.95 which is also a conference-best mark. Julia Patrone led the conference in scoring with 24 goals (1.2 per game). Patrone also led the conference in game-winning goals with nine. Kristina Castagnola and Vanessa DiDonato finished third and fourth in the conference in scoring with 18 and 15 goals.
History Against Messiah
Messiah is an all-time 9-7 against the Profs, with the Falcons winning their last matchup 3-1 in 2013.
No. 16 Christopher Newport University Captains
15-5, 1-1 Coast-to-Coast Conference
At-Large Bid
Team Homepage |
Roster |
Schedule |
Stats
Location: Newport News, Va.
Coach: Carrie Moura (20th season, 264-86 with the Captains)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 11th (8-10 Tournament Record)
Best NCAA Tournament Finish: National Semifinal (2013)
Players to Watch
#25 Abby Asuncion – Senior attacker – 11 goals, 12 assists
#18 Emma Louge – Senior midfielder – nine goals, five assists
# 24 Lily Kerr – Freshman goalkeeper – 0.58 GAA, 0.850 save pct, 12-2 record
During the regular season, the Captains faced a schedule that included four games against nationally-ranked competition and five battles against NCAA Tournament teams, including victories over Catholic and Wilson. Overall, Christopher Newport's opposition posted a .657 winning percentage during the year, which marked the third-highest in the country. The Captains won their first round matchup on Wednesday when they took down Cabrini 3-1 to advance to face Rowan on Saturday. Asuncion led the Coast to Coast conference in assists with 12 while goalkeeper Lily Kerr led the conference in save percentage at an .845 mark.
History Against Messiah
Messiah is 2-0 against the Captains, with the Falcons last victory coming in 2019 when they won 5-1.
The winner from this site will advance to the 2022 NCAA Division III Championship semifinal and final rounds which will be hosted by Rowan at Coach Wackar Stadium on November 18 and 20. The semifinals are set for noon and 3 p.m. on November 18, with the championship game to take place on Sunday, November 20 at 1 p.m.
