Messiah women’s soccer finishes strong as national runner-up

Messiah women’s soccer added another impressive piece of history to their storied tradition this season when they finished as the NCAA Division III national runner-up. The Falcons went 22-3 and rode a 20-game win streak all the way to the title game where they lost in a dramatic and heartbreaking penalty kick shootout to Washington University-St. Louis in Salem, Virginia, Dec. 3.

The decision, which was officially 1-1 (2OT, 5-4 PK), marked the second straight season the Falcons were ousted by the Bears in a shootout, the previous one coming in the national semifinal. Nevertheless, this year’s group, which lost two All-Americans and 76 percent of their scoring from last year, will certainly be remembered for their high level of commitment to the program values that, in turn, produced the program’s 12th appearance in the Final Four and ninth appearance in the National Championship game.

What this team has done, and especially what our seniors have done, is incredible,” said Messiah Head Coach Scott Frey. “This group will be remembered for their work ethic and for believing in our program every single day.

Frey has been at the helm for every one of the Falcons’ deep runs into the NCAA Tournament, and with a 362-20-20 (.925) all-time record, he remains the all-time winningest coach in NCAA soccer history with 10 or more years of experience. But still, the Falcons continue to be about more than just winning and losing.

“I think we have players that believe in our program, and they value more than just success on the field,” Frey said. “We care about each other, and this impacts everything we do. I think our younger players get a chance to see that every day and go, ‘Wow, this is more than just a soccer team.’ And that’s true. Messiah women’s soccer is more than just soccer.”

— Steve King ’06, senior associate director of athletics