MAC Soccer Tournaments

Men - Tuesday, November 2

Freedom

#4 Misericordia at #1 DeSales 2 PM
#3 Fairleigh Dickinson - Florham at #2 Eastern 2 PM

Commonwealth

#4 Lebanon Valley at #1 Messiah 7 PM
#3 Arcadia at #2 Elizabethtown 7 PM

Women - Wednesday, November 3

Freedom

#4 Misericordia at #1 Fairleigh Dickinson - Florham 4 PM
#3 Manhattanville # #2 Eastern 2 PM

Commonwealth

#4 Alvernia at #1 Messiah 7 PM
#3 Lebanon Valley at #2 Arcadia 3 PM

Championships on Saturday, November 6

Admission:

Adults $5
Seniors $4
Students $2
Under 6 free

Results at gomacsports.com


In MAC cross country championships at Delaware Valley, home favorite Caitlin Dorgan won her 7th straight race to earn DVC's first individual women's title. Charlie Larsen of Elizabethtown crossed the line first for the Elizabethtown harriers as they marked five of the top six scorers to walk away with the team title. The Elizabethtown women also cruised to another championship. Next in line are regionals on November 13, hosted by Carnegie Mellon.

In football on Saturday #8 Delaware Valley (5-0) ran past King's (0-5) to remain in first place. Wilkes (4-1) took over sole possession of second by handing Lycoming (3-2) their second loss in as many weeks. Lebanon Valley (3-2) outlasted Widener (2-3) to claim a share of third place with the Warriors and Albright (3-2), winners over FDU (0-5).

Saturday Delaware Valley hosts the MAC cross country championships with the men’s race at 11 AM and the women at Noon. Many of the recent championships have been in very wet or windy conditions, but this year the weather should be perfect. Awards will be presented in the gym at 1:30. Three different teams (Elizabethtown, DeSales, and Messiah) have won the last men’s championships, but the Blue Jays hope to repeat this year after beating Messiah by just four points in 2009. The Elizabethtown women are looking to win their fourth straight championship after topping Messiah by 19 points last year. 15 of the top 20 men’s finishers from 2009 return this year with Messiah’s Tyler Newhook hoping to retain his title. Eric Reichert of Elizabethtown may be his main threat. For the women, Caitlin Dorgan (DVC), last year’s runner up, has won all six of her races this fall. Jenn Cronin of Lebanon Valley (3rd in 2009 MAC’s), should be right of Dorgan’s heels. Eleven other women return from last season top twenty. Regionals are on November 13 in Slippery Rock, Pa. (hosted by Carnegie Mellon); the Division III championships are November 20 at Wartburg College (Iowa).

Here are the 2010 pairings for the semi-finals (at 7 PM on Wednesday, November 3) of the MAC volleyball tournaments.

Freedom

#4 DeSales at #1 Eastern

#3 Misericordia at #2 Fairleigh Dickinson - Florham

Commonwealth

#4 Widener at #1 Elizabethtown

#3 Messiah at #2 Lebanon Valley

Championship on Saturday, November 6 at site of highest remaining seed.

Admission

$5 Adults
$4 Seniors
$2 Students
Under 6 free

Results: gomacsports.com

Pairings for MAC field hockey tournaments – semi-finals on Wednesday, November 3:

Freedom Conference

Delaware Valley at Eastern 2:30 PM

Fairleigh Dickinson – Florham at King’s 4 PM

Commonwealth Conference

Alvernia at Messiah 4 PM

Elizabethtown at Lebanon Valley 3:30 PM

Championships on Saturday, November 6 at site of highest remaining seed.

Ticket prices:

Adults $5
Seniors $4
Students $2

Results: gomacsports.com

The much anticipated game for first place in the MAC did not turn out to be close as Delaware Valley shutout Lycoming. Lycoming now must defend their position in second place as they head to Wilkes. By beating the second place teams (Lycoming and Wilkes are both 3-1 in the MAC) the last two weeks, DVC is almost guaranteed the conference championship. The Aggie defense has not given up any points in the last six quarters of play. They host winless, but competitive King’s this Saturday. The Monarchs relinquished a lead late in the game against LVC, their fifth close loss. LVC hosts Widener, both at 2-2, with the winner moving into a tie for third place. The fourth game pits Albright at FDU; a win for the Lions will put them in a three way tie for third.

Much is on the line for MAC field hockey programs this week as 10 or 16 teams have a mathematical chance to qualify for the two tournaments. On the Commonwealth side, Messiah is the top seed. If Lebanon Valley tops Elizabethtown, they are the two seed; if the result is reversed, the Blue Jays take the #2 spot and the Dutchmen are #3. If Alvernia defeats Albright, they are the #4 seed. Should the Crusaders stumble against the Lions, Widener can get the #4 spot by beating LVC and Arcadia. For the Freedom, Eastern is a lock for #1 and King’s for #2. If Delaware Valley, Misericordia, and FDU all end up 4-3, these are the tie breakers: DVC loses by two goals or less, they are #3 and Misericordia is #4; Aggies lose by three goals or more, Misericordia is #3 and FDU is #4. If DVC and Misericordia tie at 4-3, DVC is #3 and the Cougars are #4; If DVC and FDU tie at 4-3, the Devils are #3 and the Aggies take #4.

Men’s soccer teams also have much to play for as 11 or 16 teams can still qualify for the tournaments. Messiah and Elizabethtown will be the two hosts for the semi-final games, with Arcadia visiting one site. If Messiah defeats Elizabethtown in the end-of-season show down, they will be the top seed. Lebanon Valley is the #4 seed unless they lose or tie with both Messiah and Widener and Alvernia knocks off Arcadia. The Freedom side is more contentious as four teams are battling for two spots; Eastern and DeSales will host the semi-final games. If FDU beats Eastern at home, they are #3, and if Misericordia, King’s, and Manhattanville all tie (10 points), Manhattanville is #4. If FDU, Misericordia, King’s, and Manhattanville all tie (10 points), Manhattanville is #3 and Misericordia #4. If FDU, Misericordia, and King’s tie, Misericordia is #3 and King’s is #4. If Misericordia and King’s tie, Misericordia has the head-to-head win and is seeded higher.

In women’s soccer the semi-finals hosts are set with Messiah and Arcadia in the Commonwealth and Eastern at FDU in the Freedom. After that, there are four teams in each conference trying to get the last two tournament spots. In the Commonwealth, if LVC beats Widener, LVC is in; if they defeat Messiah, they have to tie Widener and have Alvernia tie or lose. If Alvernia (ties Arcadia) and LVC tie (defeat Widener), Alvernia has the head-to-head win and goes ahead of the Dutchmen. On the Freedom side, if Delaware Valley (plays Manhattanville) and Misericordia win (play Wilkes), the Aggies are the 3rd seed and Valiants #4.

One of the biggest football games of the week in Division III is in our backyard. Lycoming (3-0, 5-1) heads to #9 Delaware Valley (3-0, 5-1) for a homecoming showdown for first place in the MAC. The Aggies only loss was a close game to #3 Wesley while the Warriors were topped by Rowan (just missed the top 25 this week) in the first game of the year by a touchdown. With such close records, some wonder why Lycoming is not getting more respect in the national poll. On paper they have many of the same characteristics. Lycoming leads the conference in scoring with 32.5 PPG, and DVC is a close second at 32.3; on scoring defense, the Aggies give up 11 PPG while the Warriors hold the opposition to 14.8. They sport the two top rushing offenses in the conference with Lycoming grinding out 219.8 YPG and DVC 210.5. The two top MAC rushers are responsible for most of those yards – Josh Kleinfelter (Lycoming) averages 165.8 and Matt Cook (DVC) checks in at 118.3. Something has to give as the two rushing defenses are also tops in the league (DVC giving up 72.7 yards and Lycoming 76.8). Perhaps the only point where one team has a statistical advantage is in the passing game – at DVC’s Mark Hatty throws for 217 yards a game (243.7 for the team) while Lycoming only gains 156 passing yards a game. More importantly, the DVC defense is tops against the pass while Lyco ranks 5th in the MAC. Stats are one thing and the game is another – should be great weather (the last three meetings between these teams have been in adverse conditions) and a spectacular college football game!

In other games Wilkes (2-1, 3-3) travels to FDU (0-3, 3-3) as both teams try to rebound from disappointing losses last weekend. Wilkes could not hold onto a half time lead or take advantage of eight DVC turnovers; the Devils were up 21-7 to LVC but collapsed coming down the stretch. FDU’s Matt Jeffers is second in the MAC in total offense with 218.8 YPG. The Colonel’s Jordan D’Emilio is second in the conference with 5.2 pass receptions per game. FDU has the third ranked pass offense but will face Wilkes third ranked pass defense. FDU has not had much luck running the ball, and the Wilkes defense gives up more rushing yards than any other MAC team.

Lebanon Valley (1-2, 2-4) heads up I-81 to visit King’s (0-3, 0-6). The LVC offense counts on Ben Guiles (MAC 3rd leading rusher) to lead the ground game, and the Monarch defense is only 7th in stopping the run. The King’s pass defense is 2nd in the conference and the Dutchmen have been inconsistent in the passing game. If King’s is going to win, they need Corey Lavin to have a big day passing – his 192.3 a game is second to DVC’s Mark Hatty.

The last game features Albright (1-2, 3-3) at Widener (2-1, 3-3). The Lions can score and move the ball as they are 2nd in the conference in total yards (388) and 3rd in points scored (30.2). The Pride exhibits prowess on the other side of the ball as their “D” is ranked 3rd in points allowed (23.2) and yards allowed (291.3). The winner still has a shot at getting an ECAC Bowl bid.

Today is the showdown in field hockey between the two best teams in the country - #1 Lebanon Valley and #2 Messiah in Annville at 4 PM. How often do the two top teams in the country play a regular season game in the same conference? While this game is important for the Commonwealth standings, inevitably these two schools will meet at least one more time, and possibly twice before a Division III national champion is determined!

The four teams are set for the Commonwealth volleyball tournament. The big match next week pits LVC at Elizabethtown. Here are the tie-breaking scenarios for the final standings:

Elizabethtown wins; Messiah and Widener both win or lose

1 Elizabethtown, 6-1
2 LVC, 6-1
3 Messiah, 5-2 (4-3)
4 Widener, 5-2 (4-3)

LVC, Messiah, and Widener win

1 LVC, 7-0
2 Messiah, 5-2
3 Widener, 5-2
4 Elizabethtown, 5-2

The Freedom is much dicier as six teams have a shot. The only given is that Eastern has the #1 seed!

Eastern, Misericordia (or loses to Wilkes 3-2), FDU, and DeSales win

1 Eastern, 7-0
2 FDU, 5-2
3 Misericordia, 5-2 (or 4-3)
4 DeSales, 4-3

Eastern, FDU, DeSales, and Wilkes (must win 3-0 or 3-1 over Misericordia) win

1 Eastern, 7-0
2 FDU, 5-2
3 DeSales, 4-3
4 Wilkes, 4-3

DVC, Wilkes (must win 3-0 or 3-1 over Misericordia), DeSales, and Manhattanville win

1 Eastern, 6-1
2 FDU, 4-3
3 DeSales, 4-3
4 Wilkes, 4-3

Wilkes and DVC win, DeSales loses

1 Eastern, 6-1
2 FDU, 5-2 (4-3)
3 DVC
4 Wilkes

The men’s individual tennis tournament concluded today under much better conditions than Saturday where the wind and temperature made it uncomfortable for the large crowd that gathered at King’s and Wilkes. Unlike last week in the women’s competition where Wilkes won all the brackets except for #4 doubles (Misericordia prevailed there), the hardware was shared with last year’s top teams. Manhattanvillle lead the way with 7 medals (won: #1 doubles, #3 doubles, #2 singles; runner up: #4 doubles, #1 singles, #4 singles, #5 singles); Elizabethtown came in 2nd with 6 medals (won: #4 doubles, #1 singles; runner up: #1 doubles, #3 doubles, #6 doubles, #7 doubles); Wilkes was in 3rd with 5 medals (won: #2 doubles, #4 singles, #5 singles, # 6 singles, #7 singles); Lycoming had 3 runner ups: #2 doubles, #2 singles, #3 singles; and eastern captured #3 singles. Wilkes five champions were: Clarke Freeman and Wes McCollum at #2 doubles, Dakota Deem at #4 singles, Clarke Freeman at #5 singles, Alex Makos at #6 singles, and, Bao Nguyen at #7 singles. Top flight medals went to Manhattanville’s: Michael Capozzi and Julian Uribe at #1 doubles, Jose Pinto and Karim Mahmoud at #3 doubles, and #2 Michael Capozzi at #2 singles. Elizabethtown collected two top honors: Billy Freitag and Cole Turula at #4 doubles, and the best singles player of the tournament #1 winner Manrique Arrea. Eastern’s Jordan Gates round out the winners at #3 singles.

It is rare that a team commits 8 turnovers and wins, but that is what 11th ranked Delaware Valley (5-1, 3-0) did on Saturday against Wilkes (3-3, 2-1). Leading 18-16 at halftime, the Colonels were shut out in the second half, but the bigger story was the running of Matt Cook who set school records by amassing 324 rushing yards. This sets up a show down next week for first place in the MAC as Lycoming (5-1, 3-0) comes to Doylestown. The Warriors knocked Widener (3-3, 2-1) out from the ranks of the undefeated in the MAC by a 31-7 score. Besides stout defense, Lyco was again led by the rushing of Josh Kleinfelter who had 139 yards. Another top conference runner, Ty Hughes from Albright, had 153 yards and three touchdowns to pace the Lions (3-3, 1-2 over King’s (0-6, 0-3) 38-14. Last week Lebanon Valley (2-4, 1-2) gave up a big lead in the 4th quarter to Wilkes and lost in overtime. This week, losing 21-14 in the 4th quarter to FDU, Ben Guiles ran for 126 yards four 2nd half touchdowns to seal the comeback 33-21 win for the Dutchmen.

It doesn’t seem possible, but Delaware Valley’s spectacular runner, Caitlin Dorgan, won here 6th straight race in stiff completion at the University of Delaware.

Arcadia’s (2-2) men’s soccer team faced the top Commonwealth teams this past week (Messiah and Elizabethtown, both 3-0) with the same result, a 1-0 loss. The Falcons and Blue Jays know they have their hands full if they meet the Knights again in the conference tournament. DeSales reemerged as a Freedom contender with their 2-0 win over first place Eastern. Manhattanville also sent notice that they plan to make a strong presence for the championship with 3-1 win over King’s. Misericordia kept their three-peat possibilities intact with a 1-0 win over DVC.

Nationally ranked powers Messiah (11-2, 4-0) and Lebanon Valley (14-0, 3-0) had easy field hockey wins on Saturday as they look to the head-to-head showdown in Annville on Wednesday. The most meaningful Commonwealth result had Elizabethtown (10-3, 3-1) sneak by Widener 2-1 to take over sole possession of 3rd place. Widener and Alvernia are now battling for that fourth tournament spot. The biggest game of the weekend featured the ranked Eastern Eagles (13-2-, 3-0) scratching for a 4-3 win over King’s (10-3, 3-1) to retain 1st place in the Freedom. Although King’s and Misericordia are tied for 2nd, the Monarchs have the tie breaker with a head-to-head win last week.

After a tough women’s soccer loss to Messiah (maybe their toughest game to date), Arcadia (11-3-1, 3-1) rebounded with a 1-0 win over Elizabethtown (6-5-3, 1-1-2) to keep sole possession of 2nd in the Commonwealth. Lebanon Valley kept their tournament aspirations alive with a 3-0 domination of Albright. Despite a losing record, the Wilkes women (6-8-1, 2-1-1) tied the high-flying FDU Devils (10-4-2, 3-0-1) 0-0 to move into tournament contention.

The Eastern volleyball team again takes on a top team and prevails. This time the #6 Eagles beat #5 Christopher Newport 3-1 at home. The Lebanon Valley squad knocked off #25 U Mass Boston 3-1 and Bates 3-0 before succumbing to MIT.

The big event this weekend is the men’s individual tennis tournament at Wilkes and King’s. Saturday will be windy, but the Sunday matches should have ideal fall weather. Things kick off at 9 AM each day. On Saturday Wilkes hosts football between the two sets of courts so fans and teams will need to park in the Kirby Park lot and walk through the park to the courts. Most of last year’s top players return, including many champions. At #1 singles, Ken Ip, Manrique Arrea (lost at #1 to Jansen Hein, Messiah), Ethan Grodzinski, Bobby Brown, and Julian Oribe return and will be joined by Nate Bauer, Kevin Langner, Tim Carroll, Fred Hockenbury, and Jeremy Nolt (won #3 last year) who have all moved up the ladder. Returning players at #2 singles include Jed Spangler, Bryan Arnett, Josh Riehl, Tom Neckelmann, Alex Beattie (runner up at #2 in spring 2010), Michael Capozzi (won last tournament at this spot), Frank Nutt, and Evan Katz. Jason Mifsud stays at #3 where he was runner-up last time out. Wes McCollum (Wilkes) won at #4 last year and moves to #3 this fall. Manhattanville’s Andres Rivers beat Evan Katz (Wilkes) at # 5 in spring 2010; Katz is now at #2 and Rivera at #3. At #6 singles last year, Manhattanville’s Karim Mahmoud defeated Wilkes Clarke Freeman – both these players are at #5 this year.

MAC football has the bottom half of the conference (four teams at 0-2) and the top half (four teams at 2-0) competing – the result after Saturday: two 3-0 teams and two 0-3 teams. It wasn’t that long ago that the Lycoming/Widener game often determined the conference champion. While the winner still has to face nationally ranked DVC, a lot is on the line. The Widener (3-2, 2-0) rushing defense is second to DVC in yards allowed (74.4), but they will have their greatest challenge of the year trying to stop the Warrior’s (4-1, 2-0) Josh Kleinfelter (171.2 YPG). The Aggies (4-1, 2-0) have dominated FDU and LVC the last two weeks, but they travel to Wilkes (3-2, 2-0) to face the determined Colonels. Frank Sheptock’s team has come from behind against Albright and Lebanon Valley the last two weeks. This will be an even stiffer challenge for the Colonels as DVC leads the conference in almost every defensive and offensive category. The Wilkes rushing defense has given up more yards than any MAC school, but has faced two of the league’s top rushers (Ben Guiles, LVC and Josan Holmes, Albright) the last two weeks. Nothing gets easier this week as DVC’s Matt Cook comes to town. FDU is LVC’s homecoming opponent and hopes to get back on the winning track with their passing game. After winning three non-conference games, the Devils have lost to Widener and DVC. The Dutchmen (1-4, 0-2) depend on their running game and need to rebound from a very disheartening overtime loss to Wilkes. After losing late to Wilkes and being shut out by Lycoming, Albright (2-3, 0-2) hopes to right the ship against King’s, winless in five games. Albright has a potent offense, but the defense has been porous on many fronts. Despite the poor record, the Monarch’s have been close in every game since the opening season blowout to Springfield.

Conference play in field hockey continues this weekend as three MAC teams remain in the top 10 nationally (Eastern, Messiah, and Lebanon Valley). The MAC prevailed over two Centennial foes with Messiah thumping Gettysburg 5-0 and LVC squeaking by Haverford 4-3. Despite this close score, the Dutchmen have a scoring margin of 5.23 goals per game. The big Commonwealth game is this afternoon as Widener (8-2, 1-1) travels to Elizabethtown (9-3, 2-1) for claim to third place in standings. On Thursday, King’s (10-2, 3-0) slowed down Misericordia 2-1 to set up a battle for first place in the Freedom Conference at Eastern (12-2, 3-0) on Saturday. To keep pace for a tournament spot, two 1-2 teams do battle as Manhattanville heads to Delaware Valley.

MAC women’s soccer has some critical matchups this weekend. Wilkes (6-8, 2-1) needs to keep their Freedom Conference tournament hopes alive at a surprisingly potent FDU (10-4-1, 3-0). The Devils are scoring almost three goals a game and only giving up one. For the Colonels to prevail, they need to find a way to stop Brittany Kanickij and Lori Fink, FDU’s high scoring duo. Misericordia heads to Delaware valley for a showdown between two 1-2 teams – the winner remains in the thick of the conference race, the loser may be on the outside looking in. Messiah (12-0), the #1 team in the nation, gave up their first goal of the year in a 3-1 victory over Arcadia (10-2-1). Commonwealth opponents may give the Falcons their best competition as Widener visits Grantville. Smarting from a 2-0 loss to Arcadia, the Pride hopes to pull the upset as the second leading CC scoring team with a 3.08 GPG average.

Men’s soccer action intensifies this weekend. After losing to Misericordia 2-1, King’s (9-5, 2-1) visits Manhattanville (6-4-1, 1-1-1) for a key game. The Valiant’s, last year’s Freedom runner-up, can’t afford a loss to remain viable in the championship picture; the Monarch’s need to prove that they belong in the upper echelon by beating a top opponent. Two other conference favorites, Eastern (8-3-1, 3-0) and DeSales (8-4-2, 1-0-2), face off in Center Valley. The Bulldogs need to slow down the Eagles to remain in the tournament picture for a top seed. After a tough 1-0 loss to Messiah, Arcadia (7-6, 2-1) travels to Elizabethtown (8-1-2, 2-0) for a homecoming game and a shot at second place in the Commonwealth.

Wilkes swept all nine brackets in the women’s tennis individual tournament. The #1 Elizabethtown doubles team of Alena Marani and Madison Pipkin made things tough on Wilkes’ Victoria Bybel and Melanie Nolt before succumbing 9-7. It also looked as though the Blue Jay’s #3 Kristi Noecker would prevail over Allison Kristofco, a Wilkes first year, as she took the first set 6-2. From there it was a battle as Wilkes fought back 6-4, 10-5. First year #1 Victoria Foanio of Albright made her mark on the conference by winning the first set over Melanie Nolt of Wilkes 6-4. Nolt rebounded to win the match 6-4, 10-6. Lebanon Valley’s Danielle Bordner, another first year, expended so much in the longest semi-final of the day at #4, she didn’t have enough left for Alexis Donner (Wilkes). The men will be at Wilkes and King’s this weekend for their tournament – hopefully, the weather, competition, and fan support rivals that of the women’s event.

With Delaware Valley, Wilkes, Lycoming, and Widener winning in football this past weekend, they all move to 2-0 in conference play. Two significant milestones occurred: Lycomings Josh Kleinfelter established a new school career rushing record with 3,309 yards in the blowout over Albright; Wilkes head coach Frank Sheptock won his 91st game to garnish the most wins of any football coach in their history. His Colonels came from nowhere in the 4th quarter to tie and then win the game in overtime against LVC. This weekend something has to give as the four 2-0 teams play each other (Wilkes and #12 Delaware Valley, Widener and Lycoming); the four winless teams also compete (Albright and King’s, Lebanon Valley and FDU).

In a field of 198 runners, Delaware Valley’s Caitlin Dorgan won her fifth cross country race in a row sneaking by Lebanon Valley’s Jenn Cronin by a couple of seconds at the DeSales Invitational. The DeSales women were the top MAC team, finishing seventh out of 21 teams. The DeSales men were the best MAC team, completing the 8 K in third place out of 24 teams. The Bulldogs Mike Curry led MAC runners finishing 8th out of 277 competitors.

In a repeat of last year’s men’s soccer championship matches, Messiah again prevailed over Arcadia 1-0, but the Manhattanville-Misericordia result was overturned, as the Valiant’s won this time 2-0. Nothing gets easier for Manhattanville as they take on 2-0 Eastern tomorrow. Misericordia (0-2) takes on local rival King’s for a shot to slow down the 2-0 Monarchs and get back into the tournament picture themselves. After two straight ties, DeSales must win against Wilkes (1-1) to stay within the tournament picture. While cross town rivals Alvernia and Albright attempt to establish a tournament footing, Elizabethtown and Lebanon Valley take their 1-0 records and try to pull into sole ownership of 1st place.

Wednesday volleyball has matches for control of first place, tournament sports, and bragging rights. For first place, #5 Eastern (19-1, 4-0) should be the favorite over the much improved Misericordia Cougars (3-1), and the 4-0 Lebanon Valley team must fend off Messiah (3-1). Elizabethtown (3-1) wants to keep pace with the Falcons and Dutchmen as the play winless Lycoming. Arcadia (0-4) and Alvernia (1-3) are much improved over last year, and want to maintain an edge in the standings when they battle this week. Perennial tournament participants, DeSales and FDU, are both 2-2 and need the win to keep pace with Wilkes (3-1) and Delaware Valley (2-2) who face off in Wilkes-Barre. King’s and Manhattanville, both 0-4, want to avoid the cellar.

With three top ten teams, MAC field hockey has some major action this week. #8 Eastern had their ten game winning streak stopped by Haverford 2-1, and look to a Freedom showdown on Saturday with King’s. To get to Saturday, King’s (1-0) has a big week as they take on Delaware Valley (1-1) and Misericordia (2-0). FDU (2-1) got off to a slow start with a tough schedule, but are in the conference mix as they prepare for the Cougars on Tuesday. #4 LVC (12-0, 2-0) travels to Haverford in hopes of avenging Eastern’s loss. After knocking off #11 NCNJ, #3 Messiah plays Gettysburg before returning to conference play.

After a 0-10 start, Manhattanville has started conference play 1-0-1 and travels to Eastern on Wednesday for a repeat of last year’s championship game (won by Eastern). In another title game rematch, Arcadia lost to #1 Messiah, 3-1, but that is only the second goal the Falcons have allowed all year, and the winning margin was as close as any other Messiah win. The Knights will now face #24 Widener for a claim to the upper echelon of the conference. FDU (9-4-1, 2-0) needs to keep pace with Eastern as they take on Delaware Valley (1-1).

Homecoming at 3-1 FDU features 3-1 Delaware Valley, the 12th ranked team in the nation. The Devils season was clipping along until the second half of last week’s Widener game when they gave up four touchdowns. Last week Mark Hatty tossed 5 touchdown passes for the Aggies (averages 206 yards a game) in a lopsided victory over LVC. DVC, the MAC’s top defense (8.5 PPG), will see the league’s top passer, FDU’s Matt Jeffers (225 yards/game). The Pioneers (2-2) visit King’s (0-4), and shouldn’t be deceived by the Monarch record. Their three recent losses were by a combined 16 points. After a stinging last minute defeat at the hands of Wilkes, Albright (2-2) returns home to host 3-1 Lycoming, whose loss to Rowan by a touchdown is the only blemish on their record. The Lions defense must find a solution to the Warrior’s Josh Kleinfelter who is earning great recognition for his two 200 plus yard rushing games and 177 yard/game average. Albright’s offense leads the conferences in scoring at 35.8 PPG. Wilkes takes on Lebanon Valley in Annville. This is a critical game for both squads, The Dutchmen were expected to be in the hunt for a championship and are 1-3; another conference loss puts them out of the picture. After knocking off Albright in the conference opener, the Colonels (2-2) could move to 2-0 in the MAC and remain a contender.

The big event this weekend is the women’s individual tennis tournament at Wilkes and King’s in Wilkes-Barre. The weather looks great so matches will start at 9 AM on both Saturday and Sunday. At #1 singles, Melanie Nolt of Wilkes should be the favorite as she won at this position last year. She should be challenged by Alena Marani (Elizabethtown) who won at #5 last year and Shayna Heintzelman (Lebanon Valley) who lost in the semi-finals at #2 in 2009. At #2 singles, three women have moved up in the ladder from strong finishes in 2009. Last year Madison Pipkin (Elizabethtown) lost at #4 in the finals, Lauren Fulmer (Lebanon Valley) lost at #4 in the semi’s, and Lauren Breen (King’s) lost in the #5 final to Alena Marani. At #3, Christi Noecker returns after winning the 2009 #6 final. And to indicate how strong the Wilkes program has become, Alexis Donner competes at #5 this year after winning at #4 last year. There are many first years at all the positions, so be prepared for some new names in the winner’s circle.

MAC men's soccer teams head into the second week of the conference with some big games on tap. 14 of the 16 teams have winning records, evidence of how strong the conference is. After defeating nemesis York 2-0, perennial national power 9-1 Messiah travels to Arcadia for a repeat of last year’s Commonwealth championship game. Messiah’s Nick Thompson leads the Falcons in scoring with 1.4 PPG and goalkeeper Jake Berry tops the conference with a .48 GAA and a save pct. of .882. At 6-5, Arcadia comes off a 3-2 overtime win over Wilkes. The big game may be 6-1-2 Elizabethtown at 8-3 Albright. The Lions are lead by conference scoring leader Gibrilla Conde (1.75 PPG and .75 GPG). Elizabethtown leads the conference in scoring with 7.38 PPG and 2.75 GPG. After defeating Scranton 1-0, Lebanon Valley visits Alvernia in a battle to stay in contention for a tournament spot. Lycoming heads to Widener – the loser has two conference losses, a tough spot to be with only five conference games to recover. In a battle of last year’s Freedom finalists, Misericordia visits Manhattanville. Each team has struggled some in the early going and needs a win to stay in contention for a tournament berth. After whacking Juniata 3-0, King’s visits a much improved Delaware Valley side. King’s has been a scoring machine, averaging 6.58 PPG and 2.42 GPG. DeSales sports the Freedom’s leading scorer (Derek Long, 2.09 PPG and 11 goals for 1 GPG) and the stingiest defense (.79 GAA). They will face the conference’s leading goalie, FDU’s Kevin Herbert who holds a .909 save percentage. Eastern’s defense has also been effective only giving up .88 GPG. They host Wilkes, winner of four of their last five games.

Three MAC field hockey teams (Eastern, Messiah, and Lebanon Valley) remain in the national poll. #4 Lebanon Valley crushed #20 F & M 5-1 as Jocelyn Novak broke the LVC career scoring record with 181 points. She leads the conference in points (4.33 PG) and goals (2 PG). As a team, the Dutchmen are a scoring machine with the three top scorers in the conference, a 5.67 scoring margin, and 6.44 goals per game average. Messiah is dominating on defense allowing only .55 goals per game. Their goalie, Kayleigh Stewart contributes to that prowess with a .53 GAA and a .893 save percentage. King’s leads the Freedom in scoring with 3.1 GPG and Eastern dominate defensively at .85 GAA. One reason Misericordia is in the mix for a tournament spot is the scoring of Samantha Sorokas who has 2.55 PPG, 13 goals, and 1.18 GPG. Manhattanville’s goalie Melissa Grant is making a phenomenal 10.3 saves a game.

In women’s soccer, Messiah remains the #1 team in the country after soundly defeating two-time Freedom champion Eastern on Wednesday night. The Falcons have only given up one goal in ten games and have scored an average of 5.25. Amanda Naeher, 2008 national player of the year, sets the offensive pace with 4.38 PPG and 1.88 GPG. Arcadia (9-2-1), the 2009 conference runner up, hosts Messiah this weekend. Lebanon Valley’s defense has recorded eight shutouts in 12 games. On the Freedom side, Misericordia (3.09 GPG) and FDU (3.0 GPG) are possible challengers to Eastern this year with their scoring prowess. Eastern counts on their defense with a .9 GAA thus far. DeSales Brady Walsh leads the conference in scoring (2.45 PPG, 11 goals, and 1 GPG).

The first week of MAC conference football games produced some interesting results. It was not a surprise that 13th ranked Delaware Valley (3-1) beat Lebanon Valley (1-3) 38-6, but it was that they got off to a 21-0 start in the first quarter and never looked back. Lycoming has to be considered the likely challenger for the Aggies as they move to 3-1 by defeating King’s 31-24 as Josh Kleinfelter had another brilliant day with 216 rushing yards. This was the third straight game where the Monarchs came up a little short. FDU travelled to Widener (2-2) with the only 3-0 record in the conference and looked good in the first half, leading 13-7. The second half was a nightmare for the Devils as their special teams broke down and allowed the Pride several big plays. Four touchdowns in the 2nd half resulted in a 35-20 win in front of a homecoming crowd that included the Stevenson football team. This is the first year of football for the Mustangs as they prepare to compete in the MAC starting in 2011. In the final MAC game, Wilkes (2-2) kicked a intercepted a pass and kicked a field goal late in the last minute of the game to win a scoring fest over visiting Albright (2-2) 38-35 for the homecoming crowd.

The first MAC cross over volleyball tournament ended with the Commonwealth winning 9 of 16 matches, but the Freedom (Eastern, FDU, DVC) won three of the four pods. Albright was the only CC pod winner at Lycoming. In the premier match of the day that pitted #5 Eastern versus top Commonwealth team Lebanon Valley, the Eagles held on to win 3-2.

Delaware Valley’s Caitlin Dorgan extended her cross country winning streak to four as she captured the individual championship at Wilkes to lead her team to a first place showing. Another DVC runner, Thomas Porter, also took the top hardware in the men’s race, but the Albright squad won the team championship. The Elizabethtown teams showed well in a competitive field at Slippery Rock, with the men 2nd of 10 teams, and the women 3rd of 10. In the biggest meet of the weekend, Paul Short at Lehigh, the Widener men has the top MAC finish (5th of 33) as Dennis Conn lead the way. LVC’s Jenn Cronin (team ranked 7th in region), running against mainly D I and II competitors, was 16th of 387.

Lots of men’s soccer results were decided by a goal or less. Manhattanville and DeSales, considered by many to be top contenders for the Freedom crown, played to a 0-0 draw. The 2009 champion Misericordia Cougars lost a 2-1 decision to Eastern, a young squad with championship aspirations. The Commonwealth games had Elizabethtown squeaking by a much improved Alvernia side 2-1, Albright prevailed over Widener 1-0, and Arcadia defeated Lycoming by the same score.

The three ranked field hockey teams continued to win. Lebanon Valley won their ninth straight toppling Eastern Mennonite 4-1. They host #19 F & M on Tuesday. Messiah beat William Smith 1-0 and looks to a conference match up with 5-1 Widener on Wednesday. #9 Eastern plays a couple on non-conference teams before returning to Freedom action of Saturday versus DeSales.

After a disappointing non-conference season record of 12-12, MAC football hits the conference schedule for the next seven weeks. Delaware Valley hosts Lebanon Valley in an early season bout between the two preseason favorites. The 12th ranked Aggies are the conference team to beat with their only blemish a 4th quarter loss to 3rd ranked Wesley. The Dutchmen need to win this game in order to stay in the hunt for a NCAA playoff spot as they have already lost to Gettysburg and Grove City. FDU is the only unbeaten MAC team (3-0) as they head to Widener (1-2) for a day of reckoning for both squads. With their best start since 1994, are the Devils a contender? Widener’s losses were against top Empire 8 teams; are they going to be in the mix in the MAC? After their upset of #13 Ithaca last week, Lycoming hosts winless King’s. The Warriors can’t take the Monarchs lightly as they lost to Bethany by 3 and William Paterson by 7 on fluke fumble return. King’s will have to stop Lyco’s Josh Kleinfelter who is now the Warriors 2nd all-time leading rusher. Albright (2-1) heads to Wilkes (1-2) to try out the new turf at Ralston Field. Albright needs this game to maintain their prowess as one of the MAC’s top teams the last couple of years; the Colonels want to return to the NCAA playoff hunt after an ECAC bowl game last year.

In the inaugural year for the MAC volleyball crossover tournament, there are several interesting match ups. Based on last year’s standings, two teams from each conference play each other. At Lebanon Valley, 5th ranked Eastern takes on perennial CC powers LVC and Elizabethtown. After a stinging defeat at Misericordia, DeSales hopes to get in the win column against the Dutchmen and Jays. Misericordia (2-1, 6-2) has to be the favorite in Williamsport as they face Albright (1-2, 3-10) and Lycoming (0-3, 6-8). King’s (0-3, 4-7) should have a shot at rebounding after their loss to cross town rival Wilkes on Wednesday. Messiah (3-0, 13-3) is having their best start in years and takes on FDU (1-2, 8-3) and Wilkes (3-0, 5-6). The Devils and Colonels may also have their hands full with Widener (2-1, 12-8). At the final site, Arcadia (0-3, 5-8) takes on an improved Delaware Valley squad (2-1, 6-8) and Manhattanville (0-3, 5-6). Alvernia (1-2, 3-5) is much improved and may pick up wins against the Aggies and Valiant’s.

It may be the first date for conference competition, but much is on the line for women’s soccer this weekend. All the Commonwealth teams have winning records against non-conference opponents. For the first time, LVC is regionally ranked but has a tall order as they host #1 ranked Messiah. The Falcons just surpassed Ohio Wesleyan with 61 consecutive wins. Two improved teams, Alvernia (8-2-1) and Lycoming (6-2), take on regular tournament participants as the Crusaders head to Elizabethtown (4-4-1) and the Warriors host Arcadia (8-2-1). On the Freedom side, the two top teams, Misericordia (8-1-1) and Eastern (6-2-1) tangle in Dallas.

MAC field hockey programs have an 87-50 record that inevitably includes losses against each other. Commonwealth teams all have winning records and an overall mark of 45-19. Three teams, Messiah, Eastern, and Lebanon Valley, are nationally ranked. After spanking Susquehanna 7-2 last night, the Dutchmen head to Eastern Mennonite; Eastern, who has played a phenomenal schedule, knocked off Rowan 3-2 yesterday and travels to Purchase for a Freedom match up with Manhattanville; Messiah head off to William Smith.

Two crossover games between top teams in men’s soccer this week favored the Commonwealth. A much improved Alvernia side proved their record is not a fluke with a 2-1 win over DeSales and the same occurred as Lebanon Valley prevailed over Misericordia by the same score. Nothing gets easier for any of the teams as conference play starts this weekend. The Dutchmen play nationally ranked Messiah (5th in one poll, 10th in another); Alvernia (6-1-1) and Elizabethtown (5-1-2) try to establish early conference dominance; DeSales (7-3) tangles with preseason favorite Manhattanville; and, Misericordia (7-3) attempts to maintain their conference championship ways (2009 and 2010) by denying (Eastern (4-3-1) an early foothold in the standings.