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Messiah's Hench Scores and Shares, Joins Exclusive 40-40 Club
Posted: 9/8/2011
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Messiah senior Erin Hench joined the exclusive 40-40 club for NCAA women's soccer, the 41st player in Division III history to accomplish the feat.

Grantham, PA – With two assists in last week's win over Wittenberg University, Messiah senior Erin Hench became the 41st player in NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer history to collect both 40 goals and 40 assists in a career.

Hench’s milestone assist, which vaulted her into the exclusive 40-40 club, came in the 11th minute of play as she slotted a pass between two defenders to senior teammate Corinne Wulf who drilled the ball past the keeper to the right side of the goal. The score was the first in a game Messiah would go on to win 7-0.

In that game, Hench tallied a goal and two assists. The next day, Hench collected another assist in Messiah’s 4-0 win over Swarthmore College, giving the senior 55 goals and 42 assists in her career.*

Hench (Carlisle, Pa., Carlisle High School) is returning to the Falcons lineup this season after missing most of the 2010 season with a knee injury. She was a supporter of her team as the Falcons advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship final before losing to Hardin-Simmons University by the score of 2-1. The loss was the lone blemish on a 24-1 record that included Messiah’s fourth straight Commonwealth Conference Championship.

With Hench back on the field, Messiah hopes for a repeat of her last full season, 2009, in which she was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Adidas NCAA Division III National Player of the Year and led the Falcons to their third NCAA Championship crown in program history. That season, Hench scored 16 goals and collected 18 assists. She also assisted Messiah’s only goal in their 1-0 win over Washington University-St. Louis in the national championship game.

Beyond her election as National Player of the Year in 2009, Hench is a three-time 1st Team All-Commonwealth Conference player (2007-2009), Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year (2009), two-time First Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region player (2008-2009), First Team All-American (2009), and was the Commonwealth Conference Rookie of the Year in 2007.

“I think the biggest compliment I can give Erin is her ability to make everyone on the field a better player,” said Messiah head coach Scott Frey. “She has the uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time…and does so many little things well. Her accomplishment of being a player in the 40-40 club is very indicative of who she is as a player.”

Messiah, ranked 1 in the most recent NSCAA rankings, is looking for the fifth straight Commonwealth Conference crown in 2011. Led by head coach Scott Frey (12th season), the Falcons are also seeking to advance to seventh straight NCAA Division III Final Four and fourth National Championship in the past six years.

*At the time of this printing, there were known to be 40 players in Division I, 23 players in Division II, and now 41 players in Division III in the 40-40 club. There were a confirmed four players in the 50-50 club in NCAA Division III.