GRANTHAM, Pa. – With the 2026 Messiah University women's soccer season beginning on Tuesday, check out the season preview below.
2025 Recap
The Falcons finished the 2025 season with a 22-3 overall record with a 7-0 record in MAC Commonwealth play. The Falcons defeated the Mustangs of Stevenson University, 4-0 to win their seventh-straight MAC Commonwealth Championship, to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Falcons advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament with a 6-1 win over Southern Maine in the first round and a 1-0 win over Amherst in the second round. In the Sweet Sixteen, the Falcons defeated Calvin, 1-0 to earn a trip to the Elite Eight. The Falcons then fell in the Elite Eight to the top-ranked Bears of WashU, 1-0 in overtime to end the 2025 season.
2026 Roster Outlook
The Falcons bring back a ton of talent from their 2025 Elite Eight roster. The Falcons offense returns
Nikki Davis,
Brittany Hoffman,
Hannah Lashley,
Mia Libby,
Addi Martin, and
Alayna Williams, who all played appeared in most games for the Falcons last season.
Kenzie Derstine,
Aundrea Frederick, and
Morgan Graham also look to grow in their roles after appearing in a majority games last season. The Falcons defense returns starters,
Riley Craley,
Ella Lent-Koop, and
Lexi Sarago.
Tessa Groff and
Skylar Hynson also look to build off seasons in which they both appeared in 18 or more games.
Ellie Ockrin looks to take over in goal after appearing in nine games as the backup last year, while
Izzy Pizzuto also looks to battle for playing time in goal. The Falcons also added six talented first year players that look to make an immediate impact and grow in their first season in Grantham.
2026 Schedule
The Falcons open the season with two away games with No. 23 Penn St. Harrisburg as the season opener on Tuesday, Sept. 1 and a neutral site game against No. 4 Tufts University on Saturday, Sept. 5. The Falcons then play three straight home games, with No. 15 Johns Hopkins (Sept. 9), NYU (Sept. 12), and McDaniel College (Sept. 16) all coming to Grantham. The Falcons play two more home non-conference games with No. 18 Rowan (Sept. 23) and Arcadia (Sept. 26) coming to Shoemaker Field. The Falcons host Stevenson University for the annual homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 3 to kick off conference play. The Falcons will also host conference rivals Albright (Oct. 17), York (Oct. 20), and Eastern (Oct. 31) to close out the 2026 regular season.
IWSOC / United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 10
1. WashU
2. Emory University
3. University of Chicago
4. Tufts University
5. Messiah University
6. Pomona-Pitzer Colleges
7. Washington & Lee University
8. MIT
9. Middlebury College
10. Williams College
MAC Commonwealth Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Messiah - 64 (8)
2. York - 57
3. Stevenson - 48
4. Eastern - 42
5. Widener - 41
6. Hood - 22
7. Alvernia 20
8. Neumann - 16
9. Albright - 13
