Mid-Atlantic Review, Week 8

By D3soccer.com Contributor

The NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Committee released the first of their weekly Regional Rankings on Wednesday, and while there were no real surprises, the order may have hurt some feelings. Below are the teams listed as the committee saw them ranked. Alongside the teams are the D3Soccer.com rankings and the ranking number for the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Messiah (14-1-0 / 7-0-0) D3Soccer.com No. 2 / M-A Region No. 1

The Falcons got off to an early start Tuesday night when they hosted Lycoming (1-15-0 / 0-6-0) / 0-1-0) in a MAC Commonwealth contest. Messiah scored three goals in the first 10 minutes and cruised to a 7-0 victory. The Falcons outshot the Warriors 34-2 (21-2 SOG) and led in corners 15-1. The Warriors did become the first team to register a shot on goal against the Falcons in conference play, but to be fair, it was not against the starting back line. Junior All-American Brooke Firestone scored two goals for the Falcons and senior keeper Helen Ross made 14 saves between the pipes for the Warriors.

It was a “good news-bad news” scenario for Widener (6-6-2 / 4-2-0) Saturday afternoon at Messiah. The good news - the Pride were playing tough defense and had held one of the top teams in the nation to just 2 shots ten minutes into the game. The bad news for the Pride - those two shots were not just on goal but were also in goal for a 2-0 Falcon lead. The Falcons went on to score four more times in the 6-0 MAC Commonwealth victory. Junior All-American Sunny Gelnovatch and classmate Megan Mansfield each scored two goals for the Falcons, who outshot the Pride 24-0 (18-0 SOG) and led 2-0 in corner kicks. The Falcon defense was once again impenetrable. They now have their season averages down to a mere 0.20 goals against per game and are holding opponents to 3.2 shots per game.

Wednesday night, Messiah travels to Glenside, PA, to face Arcadia (11-3-2 / 6-0-0). The Falcons are looking to avenge 2017’s last-second double O/T loss to the Knights that dethroned them as MAC Commonwealth champions. The winner of this game will enter the postseason as the number one seed. The Falcons then travel to Scranton to face the Marywood Pacers (6-9-0 / 3-2-0) for their finale, a non-conference Saturday afternoon contest.

Johns Hopkins (14-1-0 / 8-0-0) D3Soccer.com No. 4 / M-A Region No. 2

The Hopkins offense was firing on all cylinders during their Saturday afternoon match with Ursinus (6-7-2 / 2-6-0), getting multiple goals from multiple players. Fifth-year senior Michelle Santangelo scored a hat trick and junior Maggie Coulson recorded a brace and 2 assists to lead the Blue Jays to a 5-1 Centennial Conference victory. The Blue Jays outshot the Bears 28-2 (17-2 SOG) and led 7-0 in corners. Hopkins extended their current winning streak to 12 games and their regular season conference winning streak to 19.

Hopkins finishes up with two Centennial Conference matchups, first hosting the Gettysburg Bullets (8-4-3 / 4-2-2) Wednesday night before traveling to the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats (2-11-1 / 1-8-0) Saturday afternoon.

Scranton (13-0-2 / 6-0-0) D3Soccer.com NR, Receiving Votes / M-A Region No. 3

Scranton traveled to Haverford (7-5-2 / 4-3-1) Wednesday afternoon and found themselves in an unfamiliar position - down 1-0 late in the first half. Sophomore midfielder Erin Toburen scored in the 42nd minute for the Royals to make it 1-1 at the break. The defenses controlled play for the remaining 65 minutes and neither team was able to break through for a goal as the match ended in a 1-1 draw. The Royals were outshot by the Fords 7-14 (2-8 SOG) but held a slight lead in corners taken at 5-4 in the non-conference match.

On Saturday in Selinsgrove, PA, the Royals found themselves in another defensive battle with Susquehanna (11-3-2 / 4-1-1) and possibly headed to their second straight draw. But, sophomore Corinne McDonald had other ideas, scoring the game’s lone goal in the 70th minute off of an assist by freshman Hope Drewes. The 1-0 Landmark Conference win clinches the top seed in the upcoming playoffs, which will be held at Scranton’s Weiss Field. There were only 18 total shots taken in the game, with Scranton recording 10 of those. The Royals held slight leads in shots on goal at 5-4 and corners taken at 5-2.

The Royals have an interesting non-conference matchup Tuesday night, hosting Penn State-Berks (11-3-2 / 9-0-1) in a game you might expect to see in a few weeks in the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament, not right now while teams are finishing up conference play. This matchup of two conference leaders (Landmark, NEAC) will be a good litmus test for each team heading into the playoffs. The Royals then host the Juniata Eagles (5-9-1 / 1-4-1) Saturday afternoon in their Landmark conference finale and then get ready to host the playoffs.

Swarthmore (12-2-1 / 6-1-1) D3Soccer.com No. 20 / M-A Region No. 4

Tuesday afternoon against Bryn Mawr (1-11-2 / 0-8-0), the Garnet took their frustrations from a narrow loss to Hopkins last weekend out on the Owls, scoring five goals in the first half and cruising to a 7-0 Centennial Conference victory. Senior All-American Marin McCoy led the way with two goals and five other Garnet players added singles, including freshman Kim Kockenmeister, who scored her first collegiate goal. Swarthmore ended with a 43-4 advantage in shots (19-2 SOG) and 7-0 lead in corners.

No. 20 Swarthmore clinched a Centennial Conference postseason berth Saturday night with a 1-0 decision at Gettysburg (8-4-3 / 4-2-2). The Garnet outshot the Bullets 15-6 (7-2 SOG) but trailed in corners 2-5. Despite having the better of play for long stretches of the game, the Garnet found themselves in a draw until a pair of sophomores teamed up for the deciding score in the 76th minute. Amy Harris served in a Garnet corner kick that classmate Grace Taylor headed home for the game-winner.

The Garnet have two Centennial Conference matchups remaining, the first at Muhlenberg Mules (6-6-2 / 3-4-1) Wednesday night, the second hosting the Haverford Fords (7-5-2 / 4-3-1) in both teams’ finale Saturday night.

Arcadia (11-3-2 / 6-0-0) D3Soccer.com NR, Receiving Votes / M-A Region No. 5

Tuesday night at Rowan (12-1-2 / 6-0-2), Arcadia dropped a 0-1 non-conference decision to the Profs, despite outshooting them 16-11 (7-5 SOG) and leading 5-0 in corners. Junior Veronica Garcia and sophomore Mackenzie Hoffman paced the Knights with three shots each. The Prof’s senior keeper Shelby Money was exactly that in goal, recording seven saves for Rowan.

The Knights produced more offense Saturday against Lycoming (1-15-0 / 0-6-0) - much more, scoring four goals in each half for an 8-2 MAC Commonwealth win. Sophomore Jules Oswald scored four goals and added an assist to pace the Knights, with four other teammates scoring goals. The Knights outshot the Warriors 35-9 (21-5 SOG) and led in corners 10-2.

On Wednesday, the Knights finally get to the game that has been circled on their calendars since the season schedules were announced, welcoming the Messiah Falcons (14-1-0 / 7-0-0) to Glenside and knowing that this match will be an important step in successfully defending their first ever MAC Commonwealth Championship. They would much rather make that title defense at home and winning this game would be a big step in making that happen. They then host the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen (6-5-2 / 2-3-1) on Saturday afternoon in their final MAC Commonwealth regular season match.

Misericordia (12-2-1 / 6-0-0) D3Soccer.com No. 19 / M-A Region No. 6

Tuesday night, Misericordia traveled the short distance to Wilkes (8-5-1 / 5-1-0) for an important MAC Freedom matchup of the conference’s top two teams. The Cougars exacted some revenge from last year’s regular season loss to the Colonels with a 3-0 shutout. Senior midfielder Hannah Larkin scored a brace and freshman midfielder Kendall Pearage had a goal and two assists to lead the Cougars. The Cougars held a 16-5 (8-3 SOG) advantage and corner kicks were even at 4. This victory means that barring unforeseen circumstances (aka a surprising loss), the Cougars will be hosting for the duration of the MAC Freedom playoffs.

The Cougars clinched the top seed in the upcoming MAC Freedom playoffs when they handed FDU-Florham (10-5-2 / 2-3-1) a 4-1 conference loss at Mangelsdorf Field Saturday night. Senior Hannah Larkin scored twice for the Cougars, while junior Jeanna Orfanos and freshman Kaylee Sturans each added a goal of their own. The Cougars outshot the Devils 26-6 (17-3 SOG) and led 4-1 in corners.

The Cougars have just one remaining game this week, a MAC Freedom matchup with the Manhattanville Valiants (2-12-1 / 0-6-0) at home on Saturday afternoon.

Susquehanna (11-3-2 / 4-1-1) D3Soccer.com NR / M-A Region No. 7

Susquehanna dropped a 0-1 non-conference decision to the Gettysburg Bullets (8-4-3 / 4-2-2) Wednesday night at home. The River Hawks found themselves down early in the fourth minute when the Bullets’ Erica Muskus scored off of a long through ball. The River Hawks created a few chances but were unable to put one in goal. Susquehanna was outshot 5-8 (4-3 SOG) and trailed in corners 3-4.

The River Hawks suffered their second straight 0-1 heartbreaker Saturday afternoon at home, this time in an important Landmark Conference match with the Scranton Royals (13-0-2 / 6-0-0). The River Hawks and Royals battled in a very close game, with each team controlling the tempo at different stages of the match. The River Hawks were outshot slightly at 8-10 (4-5 SOG) and trailed in corners 5-2. The loss means that Susquehanna will be on the road for the Landmark Conference playoffs.

The River Hawks have just a single match remaining, a Saturday afternoon Landmark contest at the Drew Rangers (6-7-3 / 0-4-2).

Dickinson (10-3-2 / 5-2-1) D3Soccer.com NR / M-A Region No. 8

On Saturday, Dickinson found themselves in overtime, locked in a scoreless defensive struggle with Haverford (7-5-2 / 4-3-1) where each team could only manage four shots. Early in the overtime period, senior Killian Donohue sent a free kick towards the back post that freshman Charlotte Glancey headed past the keeper to give the Red Devils a 1-0 Centennial Conference win. Dickinson outshot the Fords 5-4 (4-1 SOG) but trailed in corner kicks 2-3.

The Red Devils have two Centennial Conference matches remaining, a Wednesday afternoon game at the McDaniel Green Terror (10-4-0 / 6-3-0), followed by a Saturday afternoon home game with the Gettysburg Bullets (8-4-3 / 4-2-2) to finish out regular season play. Dickinson is looking to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2011 season.

Penn State-Berks (11-3-2 / 9-0-1) D3Soccer.com NR / M-A Region No. 9

Tuesday evening in Reading, PA, the Juniata Eagles (5-9-1 / 1-4-1) kept the game close with Penn State-Berks, only trailing 1-0 at halftime. The Lions widened that narrow lead in the second half, scoring five goals and romping to a 6-0 non-conference win. The win was the Lions’ sixth straight and they have outscored their opponents 45-2 in that span. The Lions outshot the Eagles 32-7 (20-4 SOG) and led in corners 8-0.

The offensive juggernaut continued to roll on Saturday afternoon in Aurora, NY, when the Lions met Wells (3-11-0 / 2-7-0) in a NEAC matchup. Caitlin Golden scored four goals for the Lions and Alexis Schoener added a hat trick en route to a 14-0 win. The Lions outshot the Express 44-0 (25-0 SOG) and led 13-0 in corners. Golden scored her nation-leading 34th goal of the season.

The two NEAC conference leaders met Sunday afternoon at Keuka (11-3-1 / 9-0-1) to determine who will be hosting the upcoming conference championships, but nothing was decided as they battled to a 0-0 scoreless tie. Penn State-Berks controlled most of the play but could not get any shots past the Wolves’ defense. The Lions outshot the Wolves 27-4 (11-4 SOG) and led in corners 9-1. Despite the scoring drought on Sunday, the Nittany Lions still lead the nation in many offensive categories for NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer, including assists per game, points per game, scoring offense, shots on goal per game, total assists, total goals, and total points.

The Lions will try and ruin Scranton’s (13-0-2 / 6-0-0) shot at an unbeaten season when they visit the Royals Tuesday night. The battle of the nation’s top scoring offense against the Royals’ no. 7 “Goals-Against Average” defense will be interesting, to say the least. The Lions then travel to face Penn College (10-5-0 / 7-2-0) Saturday afternoon in their NEAC finale.

That’s it for week 8. An exciting week that saw the first installment of the regional rankings and the beginning of the end of conference play. Tune in next week, where we’ll lay out the playoffs for our conferences represented in the regional rankings. The excitement is starting to build, with teams trying to grab that automatic berth or do well enough to catch the committee's eye and nab an at-large bid.

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