November 5, 2009

VOLLEYBALL

Freedom Conference Eastern and Commonwealth Conference Lebanon Valley are in position to defend their 2008 titles as they both host conference championships on Saturday. To return to the NCAA tournament next week they first have to get by the two other top teams in their respective conferences. Eastern (29-4), ranked in the national coaches poll all year, will face DeSales (21-7) on Saturday night at 5 PM. They each got their with semi-final wins on Wednesday night - Eastern racked up aces against Wilkes to win 3-0, while DeSales got off to a slow start against FDU-Florham, but prevailed 3-1. In the regular season match, the Eagles defeated the Bulldogs 3-0, but DeSales ran off a record number of wins after that loss. Lebanon Valley avenged a 3-1 loss in the regular season to Widener with an easy 3-0 semi-final win last night; Elizabethtown knocked off the #3 ranked Messiah Falcons to earn a spot in the title game. Last week Lebanon Valley (30-2) defeated Elizabethtown (20-9) 3-2 in their regular season match. With an NCAA bid on the line, the return match up will be battle.

FIELD HOCKEY

The two tops seeds and defending conference champions, Eastern (16-4) and Messiah (18-0), won their semi-final matches on Wednesday, but in very different ways. Eastern had to pull out all the stops to beat Delaware Valley 2-1 while the Falcons had an easy time with the Widener Pride. In overtime, King's (9-8) upset nationally ranked Wilkes 2-1 to earn another shot at Eastern and the Freedom title. Eastern won the regular season game 3-1. It took the 7th ranked Lebanon Valley Dutchmen (17-2) most of the game to finally put away the Elizabethtown Blue Jays, but they are now in the perennial position of battling the Falcons, ranked #1 nationally for most of the season, for the Commonwealth title and seeding in the NCAA tournament. Messiah won the regular season game 4-1, but in this rivalry, previous scores mean little.

MEN'S SOCCER

Misericordia (11-4-3) battled Wilkes into overtime to earn a spot in the Freedom championship and defend their 2008 conference title against Manhattanville (13-4-1). Manhattanville also had a tough semi-final defeating #4 seed Kings 1-0. In the regular season the Valiants edged the Cougars 1-0. It should be a lively time in Purchase as the 4 PM men's championship follows the women's title game at 1. In the Commonwealth, six time national champion Messiah, hosts Arcadia (12-5-3), the most improved team in the conference, at 7:30 PM on Saturday. First-year head coach Rob Nydick has returned the Knights to prominence after a last place conference finish in 2008. Messiah (17-1) also enters new territory in the post-season under first-year coach Brad McCarty, a long-time assistant under Dave Brandt, now coach at Navy. Arcadia heads to the title game after winning a 1-0 semi-final match over perennial power Elizabethtown; Messiah had an easier time with a 3-0 win over the LVC Dutchmen. The Falcons, ranked 2nd in the nation, easily defeated Arcadia in the regular season, but the Knights have been showing well since then against top opponents.

WOMEN'S SOCCER

Messiah (18-0-1), the top ranked team in the country and defending Division III champion, enters the post-season with hopes of a NCAA repeat, but they still have to get by the 15-1-3 Arcadia Knights to begin that NCAA title run with the top seed. If Arcadia can't beat the Falcons, they at least want a stronger showing than the regular season result (4-0) to possibly be considered for a Pool C nod. Messiah beat Albright and Arcadia defeated Elizabethtown in the semi-finals to earn a spot in the championship game. This Commonwealth final will be at Messiah at 4:30 on Saturday, one of three championships at the Grantham campus. Eastern (8-7-2), last years Freedom champion and one of the Elite 8 in the 2008 NCAA's (lost to Messiah), travels to Manhattanville (17-1-1) for a 1 PM game on Saturday. The Eagles had to score two late second half goals to get by Misericordia 2-1 on Tuesday in the semi-final tilt. The Valiants had an easier time with Wilkes 4-0 as they entered the post-season with their best showing ever, including a national ranking this past week. Manhattanville overpowered Eastern 3-0 in the regular season, but the Eagles have many players from last years championship run who want another shot at NCAA play.