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Triad Of Top-Ranked Teams Learn Of NCAA Roads

UPDATE, 11/11/10: Montclair State University defeated SUNY-Maritime by a 3-0 score Thursday night in NCAA First Round action, thus setting up a Messiah - Montclair State match-up Sunday night at Shoemaker Field. The game will be a rematch of the Falcons’ 2008 Sectional round pairing, where Messiah defeated the Red Hawks by a 1-0 score in overtime at Christopher Newport University. Live audio and Live Stats will be available for Sunday’s contest.

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UPDATE, 11/10/10: Lynchburg College defeated Christopher Newport University by a 1-0 score Wednesday in NCAA First Round action, while Salisbury University defeated the University of Mary Washington by a 4-1 score. Thus, Messiah will face Lynchburg College in the NCAA Second Round Saturday at 11 a.m. at Anderson Field. Rhodes College will then take on Salisbury at 2 p.m. The winners of those games will then play for the right to advance to the ‘Final Four’ Sunday at 1 p.m.

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Grantham, PA — Monday provided a morning and afternoon of excitement within the Messiah athletics facility, as the NCAA officially released its tournament pools and brackets for men’s and women’s soccer and field hockey — all sports in which Messiah boasts the nation’s top-ranked teams.

The Falcons’ men’s soccer and field hockey teams will host opening-round events next weekend, while — due to an NCAA regulation — Messiah’s women’s soccer team will be on the road at Rowan University.

“In recent years, ‘selection Monday’ has been a very intriguing time on this campus, and today was no different,” said Cory Furman, assistant athletics director for public relations and marketing. “To learn who you’re playing and where you’ll be playing ... the whole process is part of what makes the NCAA post-season so unique and exciting.”

For the second straight year, the Falcons’ men’s soccer team will receive a First Round bye, hosting the winner of a Thursday match-up between Montclair State University (13-4-3) and SUNY Maritime (13-8-1) Sunday at Shoemaker Field. Messiah — ranked atop the latest D3soccer.com Top 25 Poll and third in the most recent NSCAA/Hendrickscars.com Top 25 — claimed its fourth straight Commonwealth Conference Championship Saturday night, defeating Elizabethtown College by a 1-0 score.

The Falcons will be participating in its 14th straight NCAA Tournament as a result of the automatic berth, and 22nd in the last 29 seasons. The team has won 18 consecutive games after suffering a season-opening, 1-2, overtime loss to Hobart College, winning 12 by shut out. Sunday’s game time is set for 6 p.m.

By virtue of a rare, NCAA rule, the Falcons’ women’s soccer team will play its opening weekend of post-season action on a field other than Shoemaker. Messiah — ranked first in both of the nation’s top 25 polls — will take on Manhattanville College (4-13-3) in Saturday’s First Round at 11 a.m., while the winner of that game will face either Stevenson University (12-6-1) or the host Profs (15-2-2) Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.

NCAA regulations prohibit a singular institution from hosting both men’s and women’s soccer rounds simultaneously, placing schools such as Messiah into an alternating year hosting preference: In 2010, the Falcons’ men’s team receives home field priority in the opening weekend, while the women’s team would receive home field dibs in the Sectional round, should both teams advance to that point. In 2009, that schedule was reversed.

“It’s simply a matter of facilities, personnel and being able to give the student-athletes the best possible NCAA Tournament experience,” Furman said of the rule.

Lasst year, the NCAA made an exception, allowing the Falcons’ men’s team to host a Second Round game while the women’s program hosted a four-team, First- and Second-Round pod. While this year’s scenario is identical in structure, Furman said the NCAA elected to pursue a different route.

“No explanation was given to us directly, and it could be a multitude of factors,” Furman said. “We’re just happy to again have three of our fall sports teams representing us in these tournaments.”

Though on the road, Messiah’s women’s soccer team will be the top seed at Rowan. The team will face a Manhattanville side which arrives via an incredible journey, winning just two games all season to claiming the Freedom Conference Championship last week.

There is no confusion for the Falcons’ field hockey program, however, as the team’s 17th Commonwealth Conference Championship helped the program to its 24th straight appearance in the ‘Big Dance.’ Ranked atop the Kookaburra/NFHCA Top 20 Coaches Poll, Messiah will host the winner of Lynchburg College (16-3) – Christopher Newport University (15-3) game Saturday at 11 a.m. Rhodes College (17-1) will take on the winner of a match-up between Salisbury University (14-3) and the University of Mary Washington (14-7) Saturday at 2 p.m. The Third Round contest will be played at Anderson Field Sunday at 1 p.m., with a trip to the ‘Final Four’ on the line.

As has been the case in each of the last several years, there are a multitude of storylines within Messiah’s portion of the field hockey bracket: The Falcons could face Lynchburg in their initial contest — a team that dealt Messiah a 1-2, overtime loss on Sept. 22. Or Messiah could face an impressive Christopher Newport side looking to get back to its own campus — the site of the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championship.

Of course, Salisbury could arrive to Anderson Field as well this weekend, a team that ended Messiah’s unbeaten campaign a year ago, dealing the Falcons a 1-0 loss in the national championship tilt.

Tickets for all NCAA post-season events are $6 for adults and $3 for both senior citizens and students with ID. Children ages six and up will also be admitted for $3, while children under the age of six will be admitted free of charge.

Fans can find direct links to opposing teams’ websites through the appropriate sports’ schedule page here at GoMessiah.com. WVMM plans to broadcast both women’s soccer games and the men’s game live on 90.7 FM and via streaming audio on the World Wide Web.