GRANTHAM, Pa. - In the 84th minute, Hannah Adair scored the game-winner against the John Carroll Blue Streaks in the Elite Eight to lift the Falcons to a 1-0 victory and the 15th Final Four berth in program history. The field was substantially slanted in the Falcons' favor with Messiah owning possession and opportunities throughout the contest.
 
The Falcons peppered the Blue Streaks with 37 total shots in the match, allowing just two attempts by John Carroll. Messiah put 14 shots on frame with plenty of quality looks, but it was Adair late in the match that pushed the Falcons into the Final Four with her seventh game-winning goal of the season.
 
Messiah advances to play the No. 2 Washington University in St. Louis Bears in Salem, Va. in the National Semifinal on Nov. 30 at 6:30 p.m. The Falcons knocked the Bears out of the NCAA Tournament a year ago in penalty kicks in the Elite Eight.
 
Scoreless Opening Half with Plenty of Shots
The Falcons dominated the possession battle on Shoemaker Field on Sunday afternoon in the Elite Eight. Messiah was in control of the first 45 minutes with John Carroll barely taking a touch in the Falcons' defensive half of the field. Despite plenty of possession and a total of 17 shots in the first 45 minutes of play, the Falcons were unable to find the back of the net and heading to the half scoreless with the Blue Streaks.
 
Messiah did have their chances in the opening half, none better than Hannah Adair on the right side in the 14th minute. A ball played forward from the midfield took Adair down the right wing behind the defense. With space for a shot, Adair rattled a rip off the near post and out of bounds for a goal kick.
 
The Falcons also attempted six other shots on goal in the first half with Madeline Martin Kosier making all six necessary saves for the Blue Streaks.
 
Continued Pressure
Little changed coming out of halftime, with Messiah still dominating time of possession and chances throughout the bulk of the second half. The Blue Streaks, however, did register their first shots of the game in the half with an attempt that required an Ava Wert save in the 52nd minute and another that was blocked in the 63rd minute.
 
On the other end of the field, Messiah was attempting to break the Blue Streak wall that stood inside the box for the entirety of the match. The Falcons attempted 18 shots through the first 38 minutes of the period, putting five attempts on frame. All five of those shots were saved, but in the 84th minute, the Falcons would find their moment.
 
Adair Breaks Through
After an initial shot from Hannah Adair was blocked, the Blue Streaks attempted to clear possession into the midfield, however Bailie Dull stepped forward to get the first touch. Dull was fouled in the process, but the advantage was played as the ball went right to Tahlia Lloyd. With a defender on her right hip, Lloyd entered the box and was able to work past her initial and secondary defenders to get to the end line. An initial attempt at a service was blocked, but Lloyd kept the ball in play and chipped a centering pass to Hannah Adair, who was stationed directly in front of the goal mouth. Adair tapped home the right-footed finish to give Messiah the 1-0 lead.
 
After the tally, the Falcons were content to hold possession and let the clock wind down. Brittany Laird did take a rip with less than a minute remaining, but a diving saved kept the match 1-0. In the end, an insurance goal was not necessary as the Falcons earned a 1-0 victory to punch their ticket to the Final Four for the 15th time in the last 23 seasons.

Final Four Bound
The Falcons will be playing in their second-straight National Semifinal. Last season the 2022 campaign came to a close in the Final Four against the eventual National Champion Johns Hopkins Blue Jays. As mentioned, the Falcons will be playing in the 15th Final Four in program history, all of which have come under head coach Scott Frey.
 
Joining the Falcons in the Final Four are the No. 2 Washington University in St. Louis Bears, California Lutheran Regals, and Tufts Jumbos. Messiah will square off with the WashU Bears in the National Semifinal on Nov. 30 at 6:30 p.m. while the Regals and Jumbos will meet in the other semifinal. The winners will play for a National Championship on Dec. 2 at 12:00 p.m. in Salem, Va. at Kerr Stadium on the campus of Roanoke College.
 
The Falcons and Bears have met four other times in women's soccer with all four meetings coming in the Elite Eight or later in the NCAA Tournament. The matches have always been tight with the Falcons holding a 1-1-2 overall record against the Bears, including a draw in the Elite Eight last season with the Falcons advancing via penalty kicks.
 
Fans are encouraged to follow GoMessiah.com in the coming days for a full preview of this year's Final Four.