GRANTHAM, Pa. – The fifth-ranked Messiah University women's soccer team was selected to host the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament after the Falcons claimed the MAC Commonwealth Championship last weekend. The Falcons will welcome in three teams to Grantham for this weekend's First and Second Round games. The Westfield State Owls, No. 13 Williams Ephs, and the Endicott Gulls will make the trip, with Messiah taking on Westfield State at 1:00 p.m. Williams and Endicott will face-off in the other first round game at 3:30 on Saturday.
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. Thanks to a generous donor all Messiah students with a valid ID will be free of charge.
No. 5 Messiah Falcons
17-2-0, 7-0-0 MAC Commonwealth
MAC Commonwealth Champions
Team Homepage | Roster | Schedule | Stats
Location: Grantham, Pa.
Coach: Scott Frey (23rd season, 475-31-33 with the Falcons)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 23rd (74-11-11 Tournament Record)
Best NCAA Tournament Finish: Six-Time National Champions (2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2019)
The Falcons enter their 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance in program history with a 17-2 overall record on the season. The Falcons enter the tournament on a hot streak winning their last 13 games on the season, including a 4-1 win over York in the MAC Commonwealth Championship game to earn an automatic bid. During the 13-game winning streak, the Falcons have been dominant, outscoring their opponents 47-3.
The Falcons offense this season has come from a variety of players, with nine players totaling 10 points or more on the season. The Falcons have totaled 59 goals on the season and have averaged 3.11 goals-per game. Even with a strong offense, the Falcons defense shined throughout the season. The Falcons defense gave up only eight goals all season, which was ranked 14th in the country. The Falcons also had 13 shutouts all season that ranked 11th in the nation.
Players to Watch
#10 Hannah Adair – 10 goals, 3 assists, 23 points, 5 game-winning goals, 73 shots
#11 Brittany Laird – 8 goals, 2 assists, 18 points, 2 game-winning goals, 36 shots
#13 Bella Touzeau – 4 goals, 10 assists, 18 points, 1 game-winning goal, 23 shots
#5 Julia Martin – 6 goals, 5 assists, 17 points, 2 game-winning goals, 28 shots
#18 Kristina Akselsen – 6 goals, 3 assists, 15 points, 3 game-winning goals, 43 shots
#0 Ava Wert – 0.24 goals-against average, 19 saves, .864 sv. pct., 5 shutouts
Westfield State Owls
13-6-1, 6-1-0 MASCAC
Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Champions
Team Homepage | Roster | Schedule | Stats
Location: Westfield, Mass.
Coach: Todd Ditmar (18th season, 317-200-36 with the Owls)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 10th (1-9-1 Tournament Record)
Best NCAA Tournament Finish: Second Round (2011, 2022)
The Owls are making their 10th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history after finishing the season 13-6-1. The Owls defeated the top-seed, Bridgewater St. 2-1 in the MASCAC Championship game to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. After starting the season 3-4, the Owls turned their season around with a 10-2-1 record in the Owl's final 13 games. Westfield State finished the season 6-5-1 in neutral/road games.
The Owls offense was the top offense in the MASCAC in 2023. The Owls scored 56 goals on the season, which was 26 more goals than the second-best scoring offense in the conference. The Owls offense finished with five players that recorded 10 or more points on the season. The Owls offense was led by MASCAC Offensive Player of the Year Delaney Parker. Also the defense for the Owls was strong with MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year, Jaida Cochran leading the defense to allow only 31 goals this season
Players to Watch
#3 Delaney Parker – 18 goals, 10 assists, 46 points, 2 game-winning goals, 109 shots
#5 Kiana Muratsuka – 13 goals, 10 assists, 36 points, 3 game-winning goals, 96 shots
#10 Tia Tolis – 8 goals, 6 assists, 22 points, 4 game-winning goals, 42 shots
#8 Morgan Berthiaume – 5 goals, 2 assists, 12 points, 1 game-winning goal, 48 shots
#12 Jaida Cochran – 4 goals, 3 assists, 11 points, 2 game-winning goals, 33 shots
#32 Julia Robak – 1.38 goals-against average, 50 saves, .769 sv. pct., 3 shutouts
History Against Messiah
The Falcons and Owls have only met one time. That meeting was a 4-0 win for Messiah in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
No. 13 Williams Ephs
9-3-5, 6-2-2 NESCAC
At-Large Bid
Team Homepage | Roster | Schedule | Stats
Location: Williamstown, Mass.
Coach: Sarah Raymond (Fourth season, 26-16-9 with the Ephs)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 22nd (46-18-10 Tournament Record)
Best NCAA Tournament Finish: Three-Time National Champions (2015, 2017, 2018)
The Williams College Ephs are making their 22nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history after finishing the 2023 season 9-3-5. The Ephs earned an at-large bid after falling to No. 22 Bowdoin in PKs in the NESCAC Semifinals. The Ephs started the season strong with an 7-0-2 record in their first nine games. The Ephs finished the season 2-3-3 as the Ephs navigated a tough schedule. The Ephs will be prepared for the tournament after playing a tough NESCAC schedule.
The Ephs defense was strong all season allowing only 10 goals all season. The Ephs did not allow more than two goals in a game this season and had 11 shutouts. With the Ephs defense keeping them in every game, the offense did enough to win games scoring 30 goals on the season. The Ephs offense will look to 2022 All-Region Third Team selection, Jaquelin Nordhoff to lead the midfield and forward group.
Players to Watch
#9 Jaquelin Nordhoff – 4 goals, 3 assists, 11 points, 1 game-winning goal, 20 shots
#19 Bria Abbiati – 4 goals, 2 assists, 10 points, 38 shots
#31 Blakeley Buckingham – 3 goals, 2 assists, 8 points, 20 shots
#2 Tori Huang – 4 goals, 8 points, 35 shots
#17 Brianna Wright – 3 goals, 2 assists, 8 points, 2 game-winning goals, 25 shots
#00 Margaret Huelin – 0.67 goals-against average, 29 saves, .829 sv. pct., 1 shutout
History Against Messiah
The Ephs and Falcons have played each other three times all-time. They have meet twice in the NCAA Tournament and once in the regular season. The Falcons have a 2-0-1 record against the Ephs in those games. The last time the two teams met was in the Elite Eight of the 2019 NCAA tournament. The Falcons edged the Ephs, 3-2 in PKs to advance to the Final Four. The Falcons then went on to win their sixth National Championship in program history in 2019.
Endicott Gulls
13-4-4, 4-0-4 Commonwealth Coast Conference
Commonwealth Coast Conference Champions
Team Homepage | Roster | Schedule | Stats
Location: Beverly, Mass.
Coach: Jodi Kenyon (19th season, 227-91-38 with the Gulls)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 11th (5-9-3 Tournament Record)
Best NCAA Tournament Finish: 2006 Sweet Sixteen
The Gulls are making their 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament after a 13-4-4 2023 season. The Gulls earned an automatic bid after defeating Western New England, 1-0 in the CCC Championship. The Gulls started the season 7-2-1 in their first 10 games. The Gulls finished the season strong with a 6-2-3 record and enter the tournament on a three-game winning streak. The Gulls finished the 2023 season 5-3-2 in road games.
The Gulls defense had a strong season allowing 0.52 goals per game and allowed more than two goals in a game just once this season. The Gulls had 14 shutouts on the season but were 1-3-2 in games in which the Gulls defense allowed a goal or more. The Gulls offense was strong this season, finishing second in the CCC with 45 goals scored. The Gulls offense will be led by juniors Riley Rischitelli and Grace Jewett, who both finished with six goals on the season.
Players to Watch
#18 Grace Jewett – 6 goals, 5 assists, 17 points, 5 game-winning goals, 49 shots
#6 Riley Rischitelli – 6 goals, 2 assists, 14 points, 2 game-winning goals, 28 shots
#11 Ella Morgam – 5 goals, 10 points, 2 game-winning goals, 34 shots
#29 Alexandria Dostie – 3 goals, 2 assists, 8 points, 37 shots
#7 Elizabeth Healy – 4 goals, 8 points, 17 shots
#1 Rosalina Caliri – 0.55 goals-against average, 55 saves, .833 sv. pct., 12 shutouts
History Against Messiah
The Gulls and Falcons have only played in one match all-time. The meeting was in the second round of the 2009 NCAA tournament, in which the Falcons prevailed with a 1-0 win. The Falcons went on to win their third National Championship in program history in 2009.
