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U.S. News & World Report Recognizes Messiah Fans
Posted: 6/25/2010
The crowds at Messiah soccer games have long been legendary and well-noted.

Washington, DC — With the World Cup dominating international sports headlines, U.S. News & World Report elected to domesticate things, highlighting its “top nine colleges for soccer fans” Friday.

Not surprisingly, Messiah was near the top of the list.

The Falcons’ faithful helped Messiah rate as the third-best school in the nation for soccer fans, and was the only NCAA Division III institution to make the rankings.

“You’ll often hear our soccer coaches talk about their overriding purpose,” said Cory Furman, Messiah Assistant Athletics Director for Public Relations and Marketing. “They want Messiah to be the best place to play soccer in the country. They want the best players, the best coaches, the best style, the best fans ... generally the best culture. It’s all very subjective, but I think it’s evident to a lot of people that they’re succeeding.”

The numbers clearly back the U.S. News & World Report’s findings, both on the field and off: Messiah’s men’s program has won seven of the last 10 NCAA Division III National Championships, while leading all of NCAA Division III in home attendance over the last six years. The Falcons women’s team, meanwhile, has won three of the last five titles, reaching the Final Four in seven of the last eight seasons.

Collectively, the programs have shared national championships on three different occasions, doubling up the golden trophies in 2009, 2008 and 2005. Messiah remains as the only institution — regardless of level — to capture both men’s and women’s soccer national championships in the same season.

“The ‘Hooligans’ lead the way, there’s no doubt about it,” Furman said of the school’s official soccer fan club. “But what’s really incredible is the way everyone else follows suit. Home games can be deafening. It’s an atmosphere you won’t find at very many schools.”

The U.S. News & World Report’s complete slideshow is available online. Indiana University and the University of Virginia were the only two institutions rated higher than Messiah in the report.