Weekend HomepageGrantham, PA - Messiah College men's soccer will enter the NCAA postseason this weekend when they host Morrisville State College on Sunday, Nov. 16 in the Second Round of the 2014 NCAA Championships Tournament. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.
See below for a preview of the match-up. You can also find more information, including links to live stats, radio, and video on the weekend homepage linked above.
| No. 1 NSCAA / No. 1 D3Soccer.com Messiah College Falcons |
| Location: Grantham, PA
Coach: Brad McCarty (6th season, 131-4-5 at Messiah entering game)
2014 Record: 19-0-1, 7-0-1 Commonwealth Conference
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 25th
Last NCAA Appearance: 2013 NCAA Division III National Champions |
How the Falcons got here: Messiah College enters the NCAA Tournament as the automatic qualifier (AQ) from the Commonwealth Conference. The Falcons are unbeaten in 20 games thus far, with their lone (scoreless) draw coming in the conference to Stevenson. On Saturday, the Falcons won the conference with a convincing 4-0 win over Lycoming.
The Falcons are two-time defending NCAA Division III Champions, and have won five the last six national titles. Still, the road ahead of them now is undetermined, and they'll have to play in Sunday's Second Round after being off for eight full days; the last time Messiah received a bye into the Second Round was in 2011 when they were upset by Neumann, 1-0.
Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Year Jeremy Payne leads the Falcons on the offensive end. He's totaled 19 goals and nine assists this season, with six game-winners. Jack Thompson (8g, 10a) and Mike Kovach (9g, 8a) each have 26 points on the season, while Danny Brandt (7g, 4a), Brian Ramirez (2g, 9a), and Colby Thomas (5g, 2a) round out the Falcons' six double-digit scorers. Messiah is ranked sixth in the nation with 65 total goals, and ninth with 51 total assists. The Falcons' dynamic offense is well-represented in this stat alone: nine different players collected at least a single point in the Falcons' last two games, both in the conference playoff.
In the backfield Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Year Carter Robbins leads a unit that's put together a 0.29 goals against average (GAA)—a mark that's second in the nation. Matt Kyne, Bryant Myer, and Josh Bender are included in the group, with keeper Brandon West in the net. West carries a 0.34 GAA and .857 in 19 starts, with eight shutouts.
Among the Falcons' 19 wins are defeats of three other NCAA Tournament qualifiers: Montclair State, Catholic, and Dickinson.
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| Morrisville State College Mustangs |
| Location: Morrisville, NY
Coach: Kyle Graves (5th season, 53-28-11 at Morrisville entering Tournament)
2014 Record: 16-2-1, 9-1 North Eastern Athletic Conference
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2nd
Last NCAA Appearance (prior to 2014): 2012 First Round, lost 3-0 to Carnegie Mellon
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How the Mustangs got here: Morrisville edged King's College 1-1 (5-4) in a thrilling penalty kick shootout on Friday to advance to the Second Round. The shootout went to nine rounds of shooters before the Mustangs took the game. The contest was actually played a day later than originally scheduled, as snow postponed the game from Thursday. Jesse Astudillio tallied for the Mustangs in the first-half to give them an early lead, though King's tied the game right after the break.
Morrisville was hot before Friday's decision, as they held a 12-game win streak before advancing past King's. They qualified for the NCAA Tournament via the AQ from the NEAC after a 2-0 win over Lancaster Bible. They own nine shutouts over their current win streak.
The Mustangs have outscored their opponents 62-11, though they're outshot 21.8 to 19.8 each game. Morrisville is also allowing a .546 shot on goal percentage to their opponents.
Joe Sheehan leads the team with 36 points on 15 goals and six assists. Jamieson McKoy (9g, 11a) and Sheehan have combined for seven game-winners, while Julian Rodriguez (9g, 6a), Gilroy Alvarez (5g, 2a) round out the top four scorers. Both Jacob Chase and Danny Peckham are also in double-digit points with three goals and four assists each.
Keeper Rob Larkin has made 15 starts and holds a 0.54 GAA. He also has 14 shutouts and an impressive .865 save percentage. As a team the Mustangs have a 0.61 GAA and have allowed just two goals since Sept. 30.
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