GRANTHAM, Pa. – The top-ranked Messiah University men's soccer team was selected to travel to the University of Lynchburg for the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament after the Falcons claimed the MAC Commonwealth Championship last weekend. Baruch and Ohio Northern will join the Falcons at Lynchburg for the opening weekend. The Falcons will face Baruch on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 1:00 p.m. The University of Lynchburg and Ohio Northern game is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m.
The winners of Saturday's games will then meet on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. in the NCAA Second Round for a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line.
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: $6, Senior Citizens - $3, Students (valid ID) - $3, and Children - $2, Children under 3 – FREE.
See below for a quick preview of the four teams competing in the first two rounds at Lynchburg.
No. 1 Messiah University Falcons
19-0-1, 8-0-0 MAC Commonwealth
MAC Commonwealth Champions
Team Homepage |
Schedule |
Roster |
Stats
Location: Grantham, Pa.
Coach: Brad McCarty (14th season, 285-19-19 with the Falcons)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 33nd (93-18-6 Tournament Record)
Best NCAA Tournament Finish: 11-time National Champions (2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017)
The Messiah University men's soccer team had a dominant 2023 season with a 19-0-1 overall record. The Falcons earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 3-0 win over Widener University in the MAC Commonwealth Championship game last weekend to earn their 33rd NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. The Falcons finished the season 8-0-1 away from Shoemaker Field this season with the lone tie coming against Salisbury on Sept. 16
The Falcons offense this season was solid with 52 goals scored on the season. The Falcons offense had five players that recorded 10 or more points. The Falcons offense was a solid group, but the Messiah defense has been one of the best back line groups in the country. The Falcons have given up only six goals all season, which is second in the nation. The Falcons have had 15 shutouts on the season. The defensive group is led by MAC Commonwealth Tournament MVP
Jake Lent-Koop and veteran defenders
Caleb Aldridge,
Ben Vollmer, and
Chad Vrolijk.
Players to Watch
#21
Matt McDonald – 12 goals, 3 assists, 27 points, eight game-winning goals, 71 shots
#15
Sam Phillips – 11 goals, 3 assists, 25 points, 4 game-winning goals, 33 shots
#11
Ben Lefever – 4 goals, 6 assists, 14 points, 1 game-winning goal, 41 shots
#24
Josh Bratager – 5 goals, 1 assist, 11 points, 1 game-winning goal, 27 shots
#10
Patrick Lee – 2 goals, 6 assists, 10 points, 1 game-winning goal, 37 shots
#0
Adam Carter – 0.27 goals-against average, 24 saves, .828 sv. pct., 10 shutouts
Baruch College Bearcats
9-6-0, 5-2-0 CUNYAC
CUNYAC Champions
Team Homepage |
Schedule |
Roster |
Stats
Location: New York, N.Y.
Coach: Dima Kamenshchik
(6th season, 41-35-6 with the Bearcats)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 8th (0-7-0 Tournament Record)
Best NCAA Tournament Finish: NCAA First Round (2004, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2021)
The Baruch College men's soccer is making its eighth appearance in program history after a 9-6 2023 season. The Bearcats earned an automatic bid after a 2-0 win over Brooklyn College in the CUNYAC Championship game. The Bearcats had a tough start to the season going 0-4 in their first four games. The Bearcats rebounded quickly and went 9-2 to finish the season. The Bearcats finished 5-5 in road and neutral games this season.
Baruch's offense finished the season with 47 goals scored. The Bearcats finished 12th in the country with 3.13 goals per game. The Bearcats offense came from a variety of players with six players totaling 10 points or more. The Bearcats relied heavily on their offense with their defense allowing 34 goals and 2.27 goals per game.
Players to Watch
#9 Arman Celebi – 12 goals, 4 assists, 28 points, 2 game-winning goals, 47 shots
#7 Daniel Fomenko – 7 goals, 14 points, 2 game-winning goals, 34 shots
#13 Julio Ramirez – 3 goals, 6 assists, 12 points, 2 game-winning goals, 11 shots
#14 Daniel Grishin – 3 goals, 5 assists, 11 points, 23 shots
#18 Ammar Ahmedshaker – 3 goals, 4 assists, 10 points, 18 shots
#1 Jon Legasa – 1.73 goals-against average, 61 saves, .744 sv. pct., 1 shutout
History Against Messiah
Baruch and Messiah have met just once before in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The Falcons defeated the Bearcats 5-0 and made it all the way to the Elite Eight after their first-round win over Baruch.
University of Lynchburg Hornets
15-3-2, 6-2-1 ODAC
ODAC Champions
Team Homepage |
Schedule |
Roster |
Stats
Location: Lynchburg, Va.
Coach: Chris Yeager (20th season, 241-117-52 with the Hornets)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 16th (8-14-1 Tournament Record)
Best NCAA Tournament Finish: NCAA Runner-Up(2010)
The University of Lynchburg earned its 19th NCAA Tournament appearance with a 15-3-2 overall record in 2023. The Hornets earned an automatic bid after winning its 19th ODAC Championship in program history, 3-1 over Washington & Lee. The Hornets started the season strong with a 9-1 record in the month of September. The Hornets opened October with a 1-1-2 record, including a 2-2 tie with No. 2 Mary Washington. The Hornets enter the tournament on a three-game winning streak.
The Hornets finished the season with 45 goals scored and 2.37 goals per game. The Hornets finished with three players that totaled 10 points or more. The Hornets offense will rely on fifth-year forward Luke Mega, who finished with 23 points on the season. The Hornets defense was strong throughout the 2023 with only 14 goals allowed on the season. The Hornets finished the season with 10 shutouts.
Players to Watch
#7 Luke Mega – 10 goals, 3 assists, 23 points, 3 game-winning goals, 50 shots
#22 Carter Averette – 5 goals, 4 assists, 14 points, 2 game-winning goals, 20 shots
#12 Zach Whelan – 5 goals, 2 assists, 12 points, 3 game-winning goals, 34 shots
#8 Manzi Shalita – 3 goals, 3 assists, 9 points, 1 game-winning goal, 36 shots
#6 Josh Auger – 2 goals, 4 assists, 8 points, 1 game-winning goal, 9 shots
#1 Thomas Viscuso – 0.75 goals-against average, 51 saves, .785 sv. pct., 8 shutouts
History Against Messiah
The Falcons and Hornets have met five times all-time. The Falcons are 2-1-2 against the Hornets with the most recent being a 2-2 draw on Sept. 3, 2022. The biggest meeting between the two teams was in the 2010 National Championship game. The Falcons defeated the Hornets 2-1 in overtime to secure its eighth National Title in program history and its third straight.
Ohio Northern Polar Bears
12-5-3, 7-1-1 OAC
OAC Champions
Team Homepage |
Schedule |
Roster |
Stats
Location: Ada, Ohio
Coach: Chris Matejka (5th season, 255-26-15 with the Hornets)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 11th (10-8-4 Tournament Record)
Best NCAA Tournament Finish: NCAA Runner-Up (2012)
Ohio Northern makes its 10th appearance in program history after a 12-5-3 2023 season. The Polar Bears won their eighth OAC Championship with a 3-1 win over No. 25 Otterbein, to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Polar Bears started the season 5-4-1 in the month of September. During that month the Polar Bears faced five ranked teams and went 3-2 in those games. The Polars Bears finished the season strong going 7-1-2 in their final 10 games.
The Polar Bears offense finished the season with 55 goals scored. The Polar Bears were only held scoreless in three games this season and the third game they won in PKs to advance to the OAC Championship game. The Polar Bears offense was spread out with six players totaling 10 points or more. The Polar Bears will look to veteran leaders Ryan Sommerfield and Will Shaffer, who both totaled over 20 points this season. The Polar Bears defense allowed 22 goals on the season and had four total shutouts.
Players to Watch
#13 Ryan Sommerfield – 11 goals, 4 assists,26 points, 5 game-winning goals, 41 shots
#10 Will Shaffer – 9 goals, 5 assists, 23 points, 27 shots
#9 Kellan Minch – 6 goals, 2 assists, 14 points, 16 shots
#27 Colin Gottron – 4 goals, 5 assists, 13 points, 28 shots
#5 Ryan Parker – 3 goals, 4 assists, 10 points, 27 shots
History Against Messiah
The Falcons and Polar Bears have met only once all-time. The two teams met on the biggest stage in the 2012 National Title game. The Falcons defeated the Polar Bears 5-1 for their ninth National Championship in program history.
