GREENSBORO, N.C. -- In this evening's second women's semifinal, Messiah defeated William Smith 3-0. With the win, Messiah set up a rematch of last year's women's championship on Saturday when the Falcons will face Wheaton College. Last season, Wheaton defeated Messiah 1-0 in the championship match.

Tonight, Messiah came out and pressed the Herons for most of the match, putting up three goals on a team that had only allowed nine goals all season. "William Smith was a very athletic team" said Messiah head coach Scott Frey, "They were really strong at the start of the match." But after the first ten minutes of play, Messiah began pushing forward and putting shots on the Heron keeper, freshman Amanda Davis. Frey added, "They had a fantastic keeper - she really kept them in the game."

After a number of shots, Messiah's Erin Hench finally got through Davis, scoring off a long run up the side. It remained 1-0 and at the half, the Falcons had 10 shots to the Herons' 1, while Davis had 6 saves.

Amanda Naeher added a goal in the 68th minute off an assist by Katlyn Musser to make it 2-0, and Kacie Klynstra added a third late in the match, with Rachel Loya and Olivia Scott assisting.

William Smith had several chances throughout the match, but either could not get the shot on goal, or couldn't get by senior keeper Brindley Beckwith. She ended the evening with 1 save. At the other end of the field, Amanda Davis ended with 7 saves. Commenting on the Messiah attack, Davis said,"They had a lot of speed. I had to be ready for a shot at any time." The Falcons had a 19-3 shot advantage and did apply consistent pressure. Senior Heron defender Ali Art added,"Their strength is their attack." With the loss, William Smith ends their great season at 16-3-5, looking forward to building on this year's Final Four experience for their relatively young team. Said head coach Aliceann Wilber, "This was a new experience for us; we struggled with settling down. But I am very proud of our team. We fought to the end."

In today's earlier women's semi-final, Wheaton surprised Williams by scoring three goals and going on to win 3-1. The Ephs had only allowed 10 goals all season and only given up two goals in two matches: a 3-2 win over Amherst and a 4-2 win over Trinity (Conn.). With the win, Wheaton moves on to its third straight national final and fourth in five years. They will face the winner of the Messiah/William Smith match. Last season, Wheaton defeated Messiah 1-0 in the final.

The match started evenly but soon the offensive strength of Williams began to show with two shots on goal in the first four minutes. As Wheaton reacted on the counter, junior Taryne Lee gained control and scored for the Thunder, setting a precedent for the balance of the match. Williams controlled play through the midfield for the majority of the first half due to their speed and passing. Freshman Nicolle Stenquist was particularly effective at putting pressure on Wheaton via precise distribution from the top of the box. And at the half, Williams had outshot Wheaton 14-5. Yet, the score remained 1-0, due in part to six saves by Thunder sophomore keeper Ingrid Erikson.

In the second half, Williams continued their pressure, but Wheaton began to push back via the counter and converted on a goal by senior Kari Klynstra in the 52nd minute. Said Klynstra, “They kept pushing forward and so we committed to a strong counter-attack.” But it was only a matter of time before senior Gabrielle Woodson would strike gold for the Ephs and strike she did off a mishandled ball by Erickson in the 60th minute, giving new life to Williams with a 2-1 score. Through another 20 minutes, Williams continued to put tremendous pressure on Wheaton but could not hit the back of the net. In the final 10 minutes, Wheaton regained some control of the midfield and put some insurance on the board when Maria Dell Torre took a through ball, beat a defender, and went high to beat the Williams keeper for the third goal.

For the match, the Ephs outshot Wheaton 21-13, the first time a team has outshot the Thunder in several years. The Ephs also had 4 corners to Wheaton’s 3. And the Wheaton keeper Erickson had to make nine saves on the day. Yet, Wheaton will advance and play on Saturday. “This was one of the best teams we have played” said Woodson. “We’ve not seen this kind of offensive pressure, and we didn’t show enough desperation in the box.” But the senior added “No regrets. I’m leaving the program in a good place.” Head coach Michelyne Pinard added “Wheaton gave us a very different look and it was tough to adjust. But I couldn’t be more proud of this group, especially their commitment to each other.”

Wheaton’s head coach Pete Felske commented that Williams was the most powerful program they had faced in a long time. “We feel humble that we won. We were outplayed, but found a way to score goals.” Williams exits the tournament with a 19-1-1 record and one of their best seasons in program history.

In a match that looked hard to predict, Stevens rolled over Amherst 4-1 in semi-final action this afternoon in Greensboro. The Ducks started early with a goal from senior Todd Sheridan in the third minute on an unassisted lob from 30 yards out. Senior Terrence Johnson put a second goal on the board 12 minutes later to make it 2-0, on an assist by Chris Faustino. Johnson added a third goal early in the second half on a contested play that resulted in a five minute stoppage of play. Amherst finally answered with a goal of their own when senior Jake Duker scored off a cross by senior Nick Lynch to make it 3-1. However, Stevens came right back from the goal and made it 4-1 on a goal by junior Al Lockhart, with Johnson on the assist.

We really didn’t know what to expect from Amherst” said Johnson after the match. So then how did the Ducks prepare for the semi-final? Senior Captain Todd Sheridan’s advice to his team was “Just relax. We made it here. Relax.” After several years of folding in the Sweet 16 round, it looks like Sheridan’s advice paid off for Stevens. They will face Messiah for the national championship on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Messiah's Nick Thompson made his one opportunity count today in Greensboro, sending his team into Saturday’s championship match. Thompson took a long throw-in from Geoff Pezon and wasted no time burying a hard shot to the near side, scoring the eventual game winner in the twelfth minute of today’s semi-final match against Loras. Danny Thompson added a goal early in the second half off an assist by Josh Mull, and Josh Sanders made it 3-0 with 20 minutes left to play. Pezon was credited with the assist on the Sanders goal. Messiah dominated most of the match and the statistics reflected that fact: shot totals showed Messiah with 16 to the Duhawk's 4.

Beyond the numbers, Messiah dominated the transition game with their speed. “It was difficult to match up against their setup,“ said senior midfielder Sean Crosby. “We were forced into man to man and as a result couldn’t slow them down.” Messiah used that speed to keep the pressure on Loras keeper sophomore Nate DuBois, who had 5 saves on the day. The Duhawks did apply some pressure on Messiah late in the first half, putting up two shots, one on goal. But the Falcon’s regained control in the second and never looked back. “We were off on our passing game today,” commented Loras head coach Dan Rothert. “But give credit to Messiah for forcing us out of our game.” He continued “In the quarter final match against Ohio Northern, everything was working for us, but today, Messiah’s early goal set us back.”

“Loras is an excellent team,” said Messiah head coach Dave Brandt. “In the first half of this match, whoever had the ball was dangerous.” But as the match wore on, it was Messiah that ended up the dangerous side, and now the Falcons will return tomorrow and face the winner of today’s Stevens/Amherst match. It will be Messiah’s second trip to the finals in three years. Loras ends their successful season at 20-4-1, enjoying their second trip to the final four in two years and building, as Rothert said “some national championship experience.”

Scroll down for a full preview of the men's and women's Final Four:

The last team to score in the men’s championship match that didn’t have the word Messiah printed on its Jersey was Drew University in 2003. That was five years ago. Last season, Middlebury won the trophy but no one scored during the match, as the Panthers took the scoreless draw into the PK round and came out the winner. Messiah is back and is looking to add to its quiver of championship trophies, while Loras, Amherst, and Stevens will try to break that unique streak of Messiah goals.

In a similar statistic, the last team to score in the women’s championship match that wasn’t Wheaton was in 2005, when Messiah defeated TCNJ 1-0. In 2006, Wheaton defeated TCNJ 2-0 and in 2007, Wheaton defeated Messiah 1-0. That’s a three year shutout streak. Messiah will be in the hunt to repeat their success from 2005, while William Smith and Williams will try and establish a streak of their own.

The Falcons return once again to the semi-finals and that experience should pay off in a determined, stress free match against Loras. Not only has Messiah won five national championships in the last seven years, but the Falcons have squeaked by their opponents twice in this year’s post-season play. They beat Medaille in overtime after equalizing off a penalty kick in the final 14 minutes of regulation, and scored to tie in the final minute against Christopher Newport, winning in double overtime. This squad knows stress and knows how to win.

This year’s group of players would love nothing more than to turn this current streak in to a sixth championship and become part of that Messiah winning tradition. Offensively, sophomore Geoff Pezon has been the Falcon’s go-to guy all season long. Beginning with the 4-0 win over Wheaton early in September, Pezon has played a key role in almost every Messiah victory, with 19 goals on the season. Freshman Danny Thompson, sophomore Nick Thompson, and senior Josh Sanders have also made their presence known with 8 goals apiece. Adding to the woes of Messiah’s opponents is the play of J.D. Binger. In my preview of the last weekend of play, I mentioned that Binger could play a key role in Messiah’s drive for the Final Four. He played a major role in achieving that quest, and Binger should again play a key role in the semi-final match against Loras.

Messiah enters Friday’s match with a record of 20-2-2 and has an average of 2.86 goals per game, while allowing opponents .44 goals per game. The Falcons have 193 corners to 54 for opponents. Defensively, junior keeper Jared Clugston has allowed 11 goals on the season and has 33 saves. The team has 15 shutouts this season.

Messiah has played three teams that made this year’s tourney, going 2-1: they defeated Wheaton (Ill.) and Dickinson, and fell to York (Pa.). Thus far, the Falcon’s have defeated Medaille 2-1 in OT, Rochester 1-0, Montclair State 1-0 in OT, and CNU 2-1 in OT. The only common opponent with Loras was Wheaton (Ill.); the Falcons were 4-0 winners, while Loras was a 1-0 winner.

The 20-4-1 DuHawks return once again to the semi-final round, this time looking for a win. Last season, they fell to eventual champ Middlebury on PKs after playing to a scoreless draw. Loras has a fierce attacking style that usually results in a lopsided shots on goal statistic. In the win against Ohio Northern, the DuHawks exploded for four goals. When facing a tough defense, Loras does tend to struggle moving the ball into the box, but does have the dangerous shooting skill to still win the match from 20 yards out.

Loras scores 2.64 goals per game, while allowing .75 goals per game. They lead their opponents in corner kicks 165 to 98. Offensive strength comes from sophomore Miguel Bonilla has 18 goals, junior Justin McCord has 11 goals, and junior Nick Rizzo has 6 goals. Junior Santiago Mejia adds 17 assists. Defensively, Nate DuBois has allowed 18 goals, made 81 saves, and has 11 shutouts.

Loras has played four regular season matches against tournament teams, going 2-1-1; the DuHawks defeated Wheaton and Wartburg, lost to Wartburg in the conference tourney and tied UW-Platteville. To return to the semis, Loras defeated Greenville 2-0, Domincan 1-0, Augsburg 2-1 in OT, and Ohio Northern 4-1. As noted above, both Loras and Messiah played Wheaton and were both victorious.

Outlook: Loras is playing well in the post-season, needing overtime only once in four matches. They have a potent offense in Bonilla and McCord, and have come back from behind when they’ve needed to. Like Messiah, Loras has lost a few matches in questionable fashion so inconsistent play may be a risk for both sides. Messiah has Pezon and will pressure the DuHawk defense throughout the match. This match will come down to Messiah speed versus Loras ball control – and defensive control. Overtime anyone?

Women's: Williams and Wheaton, 5:00 p.m. on Friday

Williams returns to the semis for the first time in nine years, having appeared in last in 1999. This year, the Ephs come to the semis as the No. 1 team in the nation per the NSCAA rankings and with no losses on the year, sporting an all-time NCAA post-season record of 10-8-4. Senior Gabrielle Woodson has been the power behind the Ephs this season, but the team has also enjoyed goal scoring support from junior Brianna Wolfson and sophomore Sara Wild.

Williams has scored an average of 2.75 goals per game this season, while allowing an average of .50 goals per game. This defensive performance has been anchored by junior keeper Lauren Sinnenberg. She has allowed only eight goals this season and has nine shutouts. The Ephs offensive strength is based on 14 goals by Woodson and 11 goals by Wolfson. They also had 98 corner kicks to their opponent’s 48.

Williams has played five teams in this year’s NCAA tourney, going 4-0-1. The Ephs defeated Endicott 4-1, Union 5-1, Western Conn 2-0, and Amherst 3-2. They also tied Amherst earlier in the season. To get to Greensboro, Williams defeated Husson 3-0, TCNJ 2-1, and Ithaca 2-0; scoring 7 goals to 1.

Williams has no opponents in common with Wheaton.

Wheaton comes into the tourney having won two out of the last three championships, the last two via shut-outs. It might seem that Wheaton would be the favorite once again, but with a healthy turn-over of players (13 graduating players, 6 of whom were starters), and a few losses this season (undefeated in 2007), this is a Wheaton team with a different look than 2006 and 2007.

Wheaton has scored an average of 3.96 goals per game this season, while allowing an average of .81 goals per game. Offensively, All-American junior Taryne Lee has 29 goals, freshman Ali Kopelman has 14 goals, while senior Kari Klynstra has 10. The Thunder had 198 corners to their opponent’s 64. On the defensive side of the field, sophomore keeper Ingrid Erickson has allowed 15 goals and has recorded four shutouts.

Wheaton has played ten matches against teams in the tourney, going 6-3-1. They defeated Eastern, Carleton, Calvin, UW-Stevens Point, Chicago, and Illinois Wesleyan. They fell to Carthage, Loras, and Illinois Wesleyan (earlier in the season). The match with UW-Eau Claire resulted in a draw. On the way to Greensboro, Wheaton defeated Carroll 3-1, UW-Eau Claire in PKs, Washington University 3-0, and Carleton 2-1; scoring 8 goals to 2.

Wheaton has no common opponents with Williams

Outlook: Williams has played the slightly tougher schedule has a strong defensive presence. Wheaton has strong post-season experience and has a higher scoring offense. Midfield control and transition play will determine the winner of this match. And whether or not the Ephs can contain Lee.

Men's: Stevens and Amherst, 1:30 p.m. on Friday

Stevens is in the national semi-finals for the first time in program history, having participated in the post-season for six straight years. The team returned eight starters from last year and that leadership shows as the Ducks are 18-2-4 and have been playing consistent soccer all season, stumbling badly only once in a 2-0 loss to Swarthmore. In their last seven matches, they have only allowed one goal, and have scored ten. This defensive strength has also come through in the net as the Ducks have won their last two matches in penalty kicks - sophomore keeper Zach Carr has 67 saves and 13 shutouts on the year.

Offensively, Stevens is led by junior Terrance Johnson with 14 goals, junior Todd Sheridan with 11 goals, and senior Jeremy Lippel with 8 goals. Stevens has scored an average of 2.63 goals per game, while allowing opponents .42 goals per game. The Ducks have 154 corners to 80 for opponents. In the back, the Ducks returned three starters including Juniors Chris Faustino and Josh Williams. They have been part of the stingy defense that has helped limit opponents to only ten goals on the season.

Stevens has played four regular season matches against programs in the post-season, going 2-2; they were winners against Redlands and fell to Swarthmore, and split a pair with Ithaca. Their first run into the Final Four was made possible via a 1-0 win over Rennselaer, a 2-0 win over Rhode Island, and two penalty kicks victories over Johns Hopkins and Middlebury.

Common opponents with Amherst include Middlebury, Rhode Island, and Swarthmore. Stevens defeated Rhode Island 2-0, while Amherst fell 1-0. Stevens played Middlebury to a 1-1 draw and advanced in penalty kicks, while Amherst split, losing 1-0 and winning the later match 2-0. Stevens fell to Swarthmore 2-0, while Amherst were 1-0 winners over the Garnet.

Amherst College is heading to its second semi-final appearance in program history. The Lord Jeffs have been a consistent post-season participant but haven’t seen the semis since 1997. This is their third straight year in the post-season, and their eighth overall. Amherst is 15-3-3 on the season, their last loss coming on October 8 against Connecticut College. Other than a 4-2 loss at Bowdoin, the Lord Jeffs have played a tight game on the pitch all season, allowing only 13 goals while scoring 51. Their biggest win of the regular season was a 2-0 shutout of Middlebury in the NESCAC finals.

Offensively, Amherst is lead by senior Jake Duker with 15 goals and freshman Jae Heo with 12. The Lord Jeffs score an average of 2.43 goals per game and allow .62 goals per game. They dominate in corner kicks 134 to 70, presenting plenty of opportunity for scoring. Minding the net is freshman Lennard Kovacs, with Grayson Holland among the other seniors on the back line. Kovacs has nine shutouts on the season, while the team has ten over all. He also has 61 saves and has allowed eight goals.

Amherst had two matches against post-season programs, splitting with Middlebury. Their road to Greensboro included a penalty kick win over Western New England, a 1-0 win over St. Lawrence, a 1-0 win over Swarthmore and a 1-0 win over Trinity.

Common opponents with Stevens are listed above.

Outlook: Stevens has fought hard to earn the right to play in Greensboro. They have played strong defense and been consistent up front. On the other hand, Amherst has also played well and has shown real strength against post-season opponents. The regulation win against Swarthmore and Trinity were telling for the Lord Jeffs. Stevens will have to work hard defensively to quell this momentum, and only if they can do so, the Ducks will have a chance at the national championship, otherwise it will be Amherst trying to win its first championship.

Women’s: William Smith and Messiah, Friday at 7:30 p.m.

William Smith comes to Greensboro with a 16-1-5 record, and is making their sixth NCAA semi-final appearance. The team’s all-time post-season record is an impressive 25-14-10. The Herons have played a solid season, their only blemish coming early in the season in a 2-0 loss to Denison. Overall, the Herons have established themselves as a very strong defensive team in 2008.

Helping the offensive effort is sophomore forward Brelynn Nasypany with 15 goals on the year; 8 of those goals were game winners. Freshman Kate Redmond has five. While not a high scoring team (38 goals on the year, 1.73 per game), the Herons play stingy defense, allowing only 10 goals against (.45 average goals per game. The defensive effort is lead by freshman keeper Amanda Davis, who has nine shutouts on the season. She is supported by the play of senior back Ali Art. Overall, the team has blanked their opponents 14 times this season.

William Smith has faced five teams that were post-season participants, going 1-1-3; they fell to Denison 2-0, defeated Ithaca 2-0, and tied Rochester 0-0, Skidmore 0-0, and Nazareth 1-1. The Heron’s road to the semis led them through a 2-0 win over Keuka, a penalty kick win over Endicott, a 3-1 victory over Johns Hopkins 3-1, and a 1-0 win in overtime over Amherst.

Common opponents with Messiah are Rochester and Johns Hopkins. Messiah defeated Rochester 5-1 and played Johns Hopkins to a scoreless draw. The Herons played Rochester to a scoreless draw and were 3-1 winners over Johns Hopkins.

Messiah is no stranger to the Final Four. They are making their sixth appearance in the Final Four in seven years. Last season they fell 1-0 to Wheaton in the finals, in 2006 they fell to TCNJ in the semis, and in 2005, they won their first national championship. In 2004, they fell in the semis to Puget Sound. This season the Falcons are coming to Greensboro undefeated at 22-0-2. This season, Messiah has established perhaps the most balanced attack in women’s soccer. They average 4.50 goals per game and only give up an average of .36 goals per game.

Offensively, Messiah is led by junior Amanda Naeher with 32 goals, and sophomore Erin Hench with 19, and sophomore Joanna Haqq with 10. They have 111 goals on the season, and have 191 corner kicks to their opponents 29. Defensively, the Falcons have only allowed 9 goals on the season. This due in part to experience; senior keeper Brindley Beckwith has 36 saves and 8 shutouts, and has four years of Final Four experience to her credit. No team in Greensboro has scored so many goals while allowing so few.

Messiah has played three teams that were chosen for post-season play, going 2-1; they defeated Rochester, tied with Johns Hopkins and defeated Eastern 2-0. This year’s trip to Greensboro included a 6-0 win over Washington and Jefferson 6-0, a 4-1 win over Chicago, and a 2-0 victory over Eastern 2-0.

Common opponents with William Smith are listed above.

Outlook: Messiah will be a difficult side for anyone this weekend. William Smith will have to figure out a way to slow the Falcon’s potent offensive force. Chicago was the only team this season to successfully keep Messiah off the corners, but it did them no good as Messiah simply attacked up the middle. But William Smith faced a tougher schedule than did Messiah. This should help the Heron’s effort. And should they shut down Naeher, they can win this match. But if the Falcons are allowed to play their style uninterrupted, they could win by two goals or more.