MSOC NCAA Tournament Preview Picture
Jarod Hynson

Men’s Soccer NCAA Opening Weekend Preview

11/13/2025 12:53:00 PM

GENEVA, N.Y. - The Messiah University men's soccer team earned an automatic bid to the 2025 DIII NCAA Tournament with the MAC Commonwealth Championship. The Falcons travel to Genena, N.Y. to the host Hobart College on Friday, Nov. 14. The Falcons play the sixteenth-ranked Statesmen of Hobart College on Friday, Nov. 14 at 11:00 a.m. Calvin and Grove City will play in the other first round matchup in the pod at 1:30 p.m. The winners of each game will play on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 1:00 p.m. to play advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

Ticket Information
Admission at Hobart will be $6 for general admission, $3 for senior citizens, military personnel and students (ages 13-college), children ages 3-12 are $2.

Messiah University Falcons

11-7-2 Overall Record, MAC Commonwealth Champions

Team Homepage | Schedule | Roster | Stats

The Falcons enter the NCAA Tournament with a 11-7-2 overall record. The Falcons opened the season with an 0-5 record. The Falcons then went 3-2-2 over the next seven games. The Falcons then caught fire in conference play, running the table with right straight wins to win the MAC Commonwealth Tournament, 2-0 over Stevenson, to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Falcons this season totaled 36 goals, while surrendering 26 goals. The Falcons offense produced many chances, ranking 23rd in the country in shots per game (18.40) and seventh in corner kicks per game (7.40). The Falcons' defense has been the strength of the team during the current eight-game winning streak. The Falcons have allowed only one goal during the stretch and rank 18th in the country with a .550 shutout percentage on the season.
 
Players to Watch
#10 Patrick Lee: eight goals, six assists, 22 points, 27 shots on goal, one GWG
#23 Davis Pagett: seven goals, three assists, 17 points, 27 shots on goal, three GWG
#11 Kyle Spodnik: six goals, two assists, 16 shots on goal, three GWG
#15 Sam Phillips: two goals, four assists, 21 shots on goal, one GWG
#20 Jordan Gilman: Three goals, six points, three shots on goal, one GWG
#9 Jalen Keller: two goals, two assists, seven shots of goal, one GWG
#13 Ethan Quadrini: three goals, nine shots on goal
#1 Kessler Forrest: 17 games started, 26 saves, .591 save percentage, 10 shutouts

No. 16 Hobart College Statesmen

13-0-5 Overall Record, Liberty League Champions

Team Homepage | Schedule | Roster | Stats

The Statesmen enter the tournament with a 13-0-5 overall record. The Statesmen have yet to fall in a game this season on their way to the Liberty League Championship over Vassar. The Statesmen enter the tournament with a 3-0-3 record in their last six games. The Statesmen have a 7-0-3 record this season in home contests.
 
Similar to Messiah, the Statesmen are a strong defensive team that puts together a high volume of chances on offense. The Statesmen ranks 16th in the country with a .611 goals-against average and 28th with a .500 shutout percentage. The Statesmen offense is ranked 40th in the country with 17.17 shots per game and 35th in corner kicks per game with 6.44. Expect a physical battle on the pitch with the Statesmen ranking 28th in the country with 42 yellow cards.
 
Players to Watch
#10 Brady Leitner: nine goals, one assist, 19 points, 25 shots on goal, four GWG
#5 Quinn Phillips: five goals, four assists, 14 points, 18 shots on goal
#2 Griffin Coutts: five goals, three assists, 13 points, 13 shots on goal, one GWG
#24 Joe Pariano: two goals, five assists, nine points, nine shots on goal, one GWG
#14 Danny Spataro: three goals, two assists, eight points, 14 shots on goal, two GWG
#27 Gabe Smith: three goals, one assist, seven points, six shots on goal, two GWG
#1 Tommy Chyzowych: 15 games started, 37 saves. .804 save percentage, seven shutouts
 
History Against Messiah
The Falcons and Statesmen have met three times in program history with the Falcons having a 1-2 record. Their last meeting was in 2019 with the Statesmen earning 1-0 win.

Calvin University Knights

16-3-1 Overall Record, MIAA Tournament Champions

Team Homepage | Schedule | Roster | Stats

The Knights enter the tournament with a 16-3-1 overall record. After losing the season opener, the Knights rattled off seven-straight wins in the first half of the season. The Knights then went 4-2-1 before winning the final five games of the season including a 2-0 win over Hope to win the MIAA. The Knights come into Friday with a 7-1-1 record in away and neutral games this season.
 
The Knights enter the tournament as one of the top offenses in the country. The Knights rank 14 in total goals (55), 16th in scoring offense (2.75), and 23rd in points per game (7.55).  The Knights offense is efficient as even with the high-scoring offense, the Knights rank 75th in the country with 15.55 shots per game. The Knights defense ranks 107th in the country, however, allowing 1.105 goals per game throughout the season. The Knights defense has been strong during their current five-game winning streak, allowing only one goal during the stretch.
 
Players to Watch
#17 Matt Torrell: 15 goals, seven assists, 37 points, 30 shots on goal, two GWG
#25 Will Lanham: nine goals, 18 points, 19 shots on goal, three GWG
#9 Zac Brooks: five goals, five assists, 15 points, 11 shots on goal, one GWG
#29 Toby Simeoni: six goals, three assists, 15 points, 11 shots on goal, four GWG
#21 Jake Ziolo: three goals, five assists, 11 points, 13 shots on goal, three GWG
#8 Hans Pruis: three goals, three assists, nine points, seven shots on goal, one GWG
#1 Zac Moore: 18 games started, 35 saves, .636 save percentage, six shutouts
 
History Against Messiah
The Falcons and Knights have met three times in program history with the Falcons having a 2-1 record against the Knights.

Grove City College Wolverines

15-2-2 Overall Record, Presidents' Athletic Conference Champions


The Wolverines enter the tournament with a 15-2-2 overall record. The Wolverines opened the season with a 1-2-1 record in their first four games. The Wolverines won their next four games before a tie broke the win streak. The Wolverines then rattled off 10 straight wins, capped off by a 1-0 win over Franciscan in the Presidents Athletic Conference Championship.
 
The Wolverines have had a strong season with a high-end offense and a strong defense. The Wolverines rank 29th in scoring offense with 2.58 goals per game, 37th in shots per game with 17.26, and 31st in goals with 49 goals on the season. The Grove City defense has been one of the top units in the country. The Wolverines rank 16th in the country in goals-against average (.611), 23rd in shutout percentage (.526), and 14th with a goal differential of 38.
 
Players to Watch
#19 Noah Gray: 14 goals, seven assists, 35 points, 33 shots on goal, four GWG
#26 Luke Ladas: six goals, two assists, 14 points, seven shots on goal, three GWG
#6 Aidan Eck: six goals, 12 points, 14 shots on goal, four GWG
#2 Ryan Merrick: five goals, two assists, 12 points, 20 shots on goal, two GWG
#16 Camden Thomas: five goals, two assists, 12 points, 18 shots on goal, one GWG
#32 Luke Kimmich: one goal, five assists, seven points, seven shots on goal
#0 Keller Krieger: 17 games started, 51 saves, .864 save percentage, seven shutouts
 
History Against Messiah
The Falcons and Wolverines have met six times in program history with the Falcons having a 5-1 record. The last time the two team played was in 2008 and the Falcons earned a 5-0 win.

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