Spring 2011 MAC Tournament Pairings

Softball on Friday, May 6

Commonwealth at Alvernia

#1 Lebanon Valley vs. #4 Lycoming
#2 Messiah vs. #3 Arcadia

Freedom at King’s

#1 DeSales vs. #4 Manhattanville
#2 FDU vs. #3 King’s

Baseball

Commonwealth on Thursday, May 5 at Owl’s Field

#1 Alvernia vs. #4 Elizabethtown
#2 Messiah vs. #3 Widener

Freedom on Friday, May 6 at Quakertown

If DeSales wins one game against Misericordia and Misericordia wins two games:
#1 DeSales vs. #4 King’s
#2 Misericordia vs. #3 FDU

If Misericordia sweeps DeSales:
#1 Misericordia vs. #4 King’s
#2 DeSales vs. #3 FDU

If Misericordia loses two games:
#1 DeSales vs. #4 King’s
#2 FDU vs. #3 Misericordia

Men’s Lacrosse

If Messiah defeats King’s on April 30:

Monday, May 2
#6 Elizabethtown at #3 Eastern
#5 Lycoming at #4 FDU

Wednesday, May 4
At #1 Widener (7 PM) and #2 Messiah – reseed winners of May 2

Women’s Lacrosse

Tuesday, May 3

#6 Eastern at #3 FDU
#5 Lebanon Valley at #4 Alvernia

Thursday, May 5

At #1 Messiah and #2 Elizabethtown – reseed winners of May 3











2

Three of four MAC teams won opening round ECAC games last night and prepare for the semi-finals on Saturday. On the men’s side, Lebanon Valley (21-7), the #1 seed, advanced with a blow out of Marywood to play #5 Wesley on Saturday at 3 PM at home. In another MAC win, #2 DeSales (20-8) upended Neumann 86-74 and will play #3 Catholic at 1 PM. The Bulldogs beat Catholic by six at home early in the season. The final will be at Lebanon Valley on Sunday at 1 PM. Alvernia’s women were lead by juniors Allie Toczylowski (16 points/16 rebounds) and Angela Altemose (16 points/17 rebounds) as #6 Alvernia University (14-13) dominated the glass in a 58-45 win over #3 Gwynedd-Mercy College (17-11) in ECAC South Region Quarterfinal action at the Griffin Complex. The Crusaders advance to the ECAC semifinal and will play #2 Catholic University at top-seeded Waynesburg on Saturday at 6:00 PM Waynesburg will play PSU-Behrend in the other semifinal with the two finalists to meet Sunday at 2:00 PM at Waynesburg.

Four of the five MAC NCAA teams are on their way to various sites. The Lebanon Valley women host a pod in Annville with the Dutchmen taking on Neumann at 8 PM Friday after Randolph-Macon and Bridgewater State play at 6 PM. The winners will advance and play at 7 p.m. Saturday for a trip to the Sweet Sixteen. Neumann won its second straight Colonial State Athletic Conference title with Katie Young, the CSAC Player of the Year, leading the team with a 16.5 point and 13.0 rebounds per game. Andrea Hoover, the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year, leads the Dutchmen with 11.0 points per game and 157 assists.

In other women’s action, DeSales (19-8) travel to upstate New York for the second straight year, taking on SUNY-Geneseo (25-3) in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Friday evening at 8:00 PM. Last year the Bulldogs defeated Ithaca College in New York before falling to Williams College. Prior to the DeSales game, the other two teams in the four-team pod tangle when Medaille College (22-4) takes on Babson College (27-0) at 6:00 PM. DeSales will be making its 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the fourth straight after winning the Freedom Conference Championship on Saturday. Senior Lori Lidlow, All-Freedom Conference First-Team for the second straight year, averages a team-best 16.9 points per game and also leads the Bulldogs with 58 steals.

The last MAC women’s team is perennial NCAA tournament participant Messiah (19-7), heading to the dance for the 12th straight season. The Falcons will face Western Connecticut (23-3) at 6 PM in First Round play Friday evening at Kean (22-4), while the hosts entertain Vassar (16-11) in the 8 PM game. Kean is the only familiar opponent to Messiah, as the Cougars handed the Falcons a 64-73 defeat earlier in the season. Kean is the only team currently ranked in this weekend’s pod, rated seventh in the latest USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll and fifth in the D3hoops.com Top 25.

The Delaware Valley team will make its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division III tournament on Friday, March 4 when the Aggies travel to Norfolk, Virginia to take on Virginia Wesleyan (7:30 PM), a team that is 23-4 overall, ranked 10th in the latest D3hoops.com poll and is makings its seven consecutive appearance (11th overall) in the NCAA tournament. The Marlins won the Division III championship just five years ago and were the runners-up the following season. Should the Aggies win, their second-round opponent would either be a Franklin & Marshall program that is 22-5, ranked 18th in the country and is making its 22nd overall appearance (third overall) in the tournament, or a North Carolina Wesleyan team that holds a 21-6 record and is receiving votes in the national poll. If the Aggies are to prevail, senior guard and 2011 Freedom Conference Player of the Year, James Jones will have to have a monster performance. He and sophomore center Jeremy Beckett, a second-team all-Freedom Conference selection, are keys to the Aggie attack.

Alvernia (18-6) travels to St. Mary's Friday evening for an NCAA First Round match-up with #8 Randolph-Macon (24-4), winners of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. #18 St. Mary's (22-5), winners of the Capital Athletic Conference, host the four-team pod and will face Medger Evers Friday evening. The two winners will square off Saturday at St. Mary's for the right to advance to the Sweet 16. The Crusaders have been to the dance seven times, with their best showing a Final Four loss to Williams by a point in 1997. Alvernia is led by junior center Cory Boone who averages 12.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.

MAC basketball championship action concludes on Saturday at four different sites.

Commonwealth Women

On Wednesday Lebanon Valley (13-1, 24-2) cruised to a 55-38 victory over Alvernia, and Messiah (12-2, 19-6) posted a 74-63 win over Widener to advance to the title game in Annville. Messiah is on a nine game winning streak, and this was their third semifinal win over Widener in the last four years and fourth in the last six, putting them in the league championship for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. LVC and Messiah split the season series this year. In the first meeting in Grantham, Lebanon Valley posted a 46-32 win; the Falcons returned the favor in Annville, winning 59-55, a victory that snapped the Dutchmen's 15 game win streak. The Dutchmen are led by Andrea Hoover, Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year, and Suzie Noyes, All-Commonwealth First Team. The Falcons duo of Dori Gyori, First Team All-Commonwealth, and Michele Schleich, All-Commonwealth Second Team, pace their squad. LVC is making its tenth appearance in the Commonwealth Conference tournament with a 5-9 all-time record. LVC and Messiah have met four times in the tournament championship, but have never prevailed. At 1 PM tomorrow we will find out if LVC can break that streak!

Commonwealth Men

The Commonwealth semifinals saw two close games, as top-seeded Alvernia (11-3, 19-6) overcame fourth-seeded Messiah's charge to win 51-49 and second-seeded LVC (10-4, 20-6) came back to top third-seeded Widener 58-56. The Dutchmen have won 11 straight, including last Saturdays last second win over Alvernia in Annville. LVC was last in the title game in 2005 and haven’t won the championship since 1995. The Crusaders are looking for their first Commonwealth title in their second year of conference membership. The two teams split during the regular season. The series is tied at 9-9, and they have met twice in the post season - LVC lost at Alvernia in the NCAA First Round in 1997, and beat them in the ECAC South semifinals in 2004. The Dutchmen are led by the top Commonwealth backcourt- Anthony Trautman, Commonwealth Player of the Year, and Joe Meehan, First Team All-Commonwealth. Alvernia’s fortunes are dictated by pivot Cory Boone and guard Tad Gillis, both named to the All-Commonwealth Team, and Seth Cornell, their leader scorer. LVC beat the Crusaders at home; can they do the same in Reading at 3 PM tomorrow?

Freedom Women

DeSales (10-4, 18-8) women's basketball team is one win away from winning a fourth straight Freedom Conference Title after defeating King's College, 66-52, to advance to the Freedom Conference Championship game on Saturday at 7 PM at home after Misericordia (9-5, 16-10) knocked out top seed, Manhattanville College, in Purchase, NY. The Cougars had been blown out 75-55 by the Valiants four days earlier but Christine Marks, Freedom Player of the Year, rose to the occasion and Misericordia used clutch free throw shooting to seal the deal 57-51. DeSales First Team All-Freedom senior Lori Lidlow led the way on Wednesday and will probably do so again tomorrow night. The two team split during the regular season, the Bulldogs winning at home 56-44 and losing at Misericordia 71-54. DeSales has the home court and championship experience; can Misericordia come in and disrupt their party?

Freedom Men

The top-seeded Aggies (9-5, 16-10) battle second-seeded and two-time defending conference champion DeSales (9-5, 19-7) at 2 PM tomorrow in Doylestown. Delaware Valley is in uncharted territory as it hosted a playoff game for the first time in program history and notched its first-ever postseason win with a 69-66 victory over Wilkes University in Wednesday’s semifinal. The Bulldogs and Aggies split their two regular season meetings, each winning on the opponent’s home court. The first contest was in Center Valley where a 3-pointer with 2.3 second remaining lifted Delaware Valley to an 82-79 triumph. Two months later in Doylestown, DeSales avenged that setback with an 83-73 victory. The Aggies are paced by senior guard and 2011 Freedom Conference Player of the Year James Jones and sophomore center Jeremy Beckett, a Second-Team All-Freedom selection. This is the fifth straight year that head coach Scott Coval and DeSales has reached the Freedom championship game. DeSales advanced to Saturday’s game with a 67-59 home victory over third-seeded Misericordia University. The Bulldogs count on senior guard and First-Team All-Freedom Brian Hunter and sophomore forward Brett Moyer, Second-Team All-Freedom, to lead the way. The Aggies are hot and have the home court, but they face a team that has gone deep into the NCAA tournament the last two years. Something has to give!

Today the 2011 MAC women’s basketball tournament starts with a familiar cast of characters. On the Freedom side, King’s, DeSales, and Manhattanville finished the regular season in a three-way tie for first place, and Misericordia ended up as the fourth seed after a disappointing loss at Manhattanville on Saturday. DeSales has won three straight championships and hosts King’s (at 6 PM), who has been in 15 of the last 16 tournaments (only missed last year). King’s (10-4, 16-9) is guided by all Freedom Conference standout Celia Rader, a sophomore guard who averages 13.4 points per-game while adding 2.9 rebounds. Rader is also one of the premier shooters in the league, topping the Freedom Conference in three point field goal percentage (37.0) connecting on 60 treys during the year. Since 2000-01, King's has posted a 7-7 record in tournament play, winning two conference titles in 2000-01 and 2002-03. DeSales owns a 27-22 lead in the all-time series between the two teams, while King's holds a slim 4-3 advantage in games played in the Freedom Conference tournament. DeSales has won eight of the last nine meetings between the two teams. This year the home team won each game in the season series. DeSales (17-8, 10-4 Freedom) enters the postseason having won seven of its last eight games. Senior guard Lori Lidlow, a first-team All-Freedom choice, leads the team in scoring at 16.9 points per-game (4th in Freedom) and adds 2.6 assists. Freshman guard Sondrine Glovas, the conference’s Rookie of the Year, follows with 10.4 points. Cherelle Simmons, an All-Freedom second-teamer, adds 8.8 points and leads the league in rebounding with 10.0 boards.

After losing at Manhattanville (10-4, 17-8) badly on Saturday, Misericordia (9-5, 15-10) are in the unenviable position of having to return to perhaps the toughest venue for visitors in the MAC (7 PM). To prevail, the Cougars will need a big game from Freedom Player of the Year, Christine Marks, a junior, who leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 18.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. She ranks third in the Freedom Conference in both categories. She leads the Freedom in field goal percentage (54.4%) and is third in free throw percentage (84.6%). Joining Marks on the all-conference team is sophomore teammate Tyann McDaniel. The Valiants have their own premier players, two first team seniors, Simona Gordan and Carey Hickey. Kennedy Gym should be rocking tonight!

On the Commonwealth side, the four 2010 teams go at it again, with perennial champion Messiah (12-2, 18-6) taking on their nemesis Widener (10-4, 19-6) at home (7 PM), and Lebanon Valley (13-1, 23-2), the top seed, trying to win the championship for the first time with an opening round match up with Alvernia (6-8, 13-12). Widener is in the conference tournament for the eighth time in the last nine years. It is playing Messiah in the semifinals for the fourth straight year and sixth time in the last nine seasons, capturing two of five meetings. The Falcons and Pride split the season series. The Pride are led by two first team All-Commonwealth players. Sophomore guard Kate Dellinger leads the team with 17.1 points per game, 8.0 rebounds per contest, an.819 free throw percentage, and is third with a .356 three-point percentage. Sophomore point guard Lil Carney is 11th in the league with 10.6 points per game, second with 5.6 assists per contest, fifth with a .779 free throw percentage, and second with a 1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio. Last season she was the conference Rookie of the Year. Messiah needs big games Dori Gyori and Michelle Schleich, both all-conference team members, to return to the championship game on Saturday.

Alvernia, after a blow out game at LVC on Saturday, must try to recover as they return to Annville for a repeat matchup (6 PM). The Dutchman swept the series this year. Alvernia claimed the #4 seed after securing the tiebreaker over Elizabethtown. The Dutchmen have been ranked in the d3hoops.com Top 25 and USA TODAY/ESPN Division III Top 25 Coaches' Poll every week this season. The Crusaders sport two players with double digit scoring averages, led by 14.1 from all-conference Angela Altemose and 10.6 from Allie Toczylowski Both players also lead the team in rebounding - Altemose has 241 total rebounds while Toczyloswki has tallied 239 boards. LVC is 4-9 all-time in tournament play and has reached the conference final four in 2001-02, 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2009-10. The Dutchmen are directed by Andrea Hoover, back-to-back Commonwealth Conference player of the year and a first team all-conference member for the third straight season. She led the conference with 5.6 assists per game and a 1.7 assist to turnover ratio, while ranking in the top 10 in scoring and free throw percentage. Hoover leads the team with 10.9 points per game, 141 assists, and a .793 free throw percentage. She ranks 17th nationally in assists per game and set a new program record for assists with 544 in her career. Suzie Noyes, another first team all-conference performer, adds a double threat for the Dutchmen.

After a Saturday of upsets, overtime, and last second shots, anything is possible for the men’s teams as the tournament begins. On the Freedom side, DeSales (9-5, 18-7) is in a familiar spot as they try to defend their championship by opening at home (8 PM) against Misericordia (8-6, 15-10). Senior Brian Hunter and sophomore Brett Moyer, all-Freedom players, lead the Bulldogs. The Cougars also have two standout performers – junior Ethan Eichhorst and senior Robbie Johnson. The teams split their regular season games.

Delaware Valley (9-5, 15-10), the top seed, is in an unusual position as they host their first men’s basketball tournament game ever (7 PM) They are led by Freedom Conference Player of the Year James Jones and another all-conference performer, sophomore Jeremy Beckett. Wilkes (8-6, 15-9), who lost both regular season games to the Aggies in the final seconds, travels to Doylestown. This will be the Colonels 21st trip to the postseason and seventh time in the last 10 seasons. They have faced DVC just once in postseason play, defeating the Aggies 64-60 at home in the first round in 2008-09. The Colonels depend on all-Freedom senior Chris DeRojas who finished fourth in the conference in scoring with 17.6 points per game, is the top free throw shooter in the conference converting 83-of-91 attempts for a 91.2 percentage, and shot 41.3 percent from beyond the three-point line, hitting 52-of-126 shots.

Lebanon Valley (10-4, 19-6) returns to the Commonwealth Conference tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation, riding a 10-game winning streak into the postseason. Behind Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year Anthony Trautman, the Dutchmen host long-time rival Widener (8-6, 13-12). Lebanon Valley has not been to the conference final since 2004-05, and has not won a title since 1994-95. Widener last won the conference in 2008-09, capping four straight Commonwealth crowns. Widener entered the final day of the regular-season in a four-way race for the final two tournament spots. They defeated Lycoming in double overtime and received lots of help with two conference upsets. LVC and Widener split their season pair as Widener is the last team to have beaten Lebanon Valley when BJ Smith's desperation 65-foot shot fell at the buzzer. Widener has dominated the Dutchmen in the Commonwealth tournament as they've won all five meetings. LVC has been led by the conference's best backcourt. All-conference shooting guard Joe Meehan (18.5 ppg/5.3 apg) and Trautman lead the conference in scoring. Widener is paced by second-team all-conference pick Jack Brennan who leads the team with 13.6 ppg and 7.4 rpg at center.

Top-seeded Alvernia (11-3, 16-6) will host its first Commonwealth Conference tournament game Wednesday (7 PM) when Messiah (7-7, 12-12) travels to Reading. Alvernia swept Messiah during the regular season. The Falcons needed help on the last day of the regular season to win a three-way tie over Albright and Elizabethtown at 7-7. Alvernia is led by First Team All-Commonwealth center Cory Boone who is averaging 12.1 points per game and 9.0 rebounds. He leads the Commonwealth and is fourth in the nation in blocked shots with a school-record 81. Second Team All-Commonwealth Alvernia guard Tad Gillis also average double figures.

MAC men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday, February 23.

Freedom Conference

7 PM #4 Wilkes at #1 Delaware Valley

8 PM #3 Misericordia at #2 DeSales

Commonwealth Conference

7 PM #4 Messiah at #1 Alvernia

8 PM #3 Widener at #2 Lebanon Valley

The winners of Wednesday games play Saturday, February 26 at the highest remaining seed for the conference championship and the NCAA automatic bid.

Admission

Adults $6
Seniors $4
Students $2
Under 6 Free

MAC Women’s Basketball Tournament

Wednesday, February 23, 2011


Freedom Conference

7 PM #4 Misericordia at #1 Manhattanville

6 PM #3 King’s at #2 DeSales


Commonwealth Conference

6 PM #4 Alvernia at #1 Lebanon Valley

7 PM #3 Widener at #2 Messiah


Winners play at the highest remaining seed on Saturday, February 26 for the NCAA automatic bid.


Admission:
Adults $6
Seniors $4
Students $2
Under 6 Free

DeSales, Delaware Valley, Wilkes, and Misericordia are in the Freedom men's basketball tournament but final seeds depend on the following tiebreakers.

If DeSales wins at FDU, they are the #1 seed.

With a DeSales win (#1) and a Delaware Valley win at Eastern, the Aggies are the #2 seed.
If Misericordia (at Manhattanville) and Wilkes (at King’s) both win or lose:
#3 Misericordia
#4 Wilkes

With a DeSales win (#1) and a Delaware Valley loss:
If Misericordia and Wilkes both lose:
#2 Delaware Valley
#3 Misericordia
#4 Wilkes
If Misericordia and Wilkes both win:
#2 Misericordia
#3 Wilkes
#4 Delaware Valley
If Misericordia wins and Wilkes loses:
#2 Misericordia
#3 Delaware Valley
#4 Wilkes
If Wilkes wins and Misericordia loses:
#2 Wilkes
#3 Delaware Valley
#4 Misericordia

If DeSales loses and Delaware Valley wins, the Aggies are the #1 seed and the Bulldogs will be #2.
If Misericordia and Wilkes both win or lose:
#3 Misericordia
#4 Wilkes

If DeSales and Delaware Valley both lose, DeSales is the #1 seed.
If Misericordia and Wilkes both lose:
#2 Delaware Valley
#3 Misericordia
#4 Wilkes
If Misericordia and Wilkes both win:
#2 Misericordia
#3 Wilkes
#4 Delaware Valley
If Misericordia wins and Wilkes loses:
#2 Misericordia
#3 Delaware Valley
#4 Wilkes
If Wilkes wins and Misericordia loses:
#2 Wilkes
#3 Delaware Valley
#4 Misericordia

Here are basketball tournament tiebreakers for the Freedom women.

DeSales, Manhattanville, King’s, and Misericordia are all in at 9-4 and in the tournament.

If DeSales (at FDU), King’s (host Wilkes), and Manhattanville (hosts Misericordia) win:
#1 Manhattanville
#2 DeSales
#3 King’s
#4 Misericordia
If DeSales, King’s, and Misericordia win:
#1 Misericordia
#2 DeSales
#3 King’s
#4 Manhattanville
If Misericordia and King’s win and DeSales loses:
#1 Misericordia
#2 King’s
#3 DeSales
#4 Manhattanville
If Misericordia and DeSales win and King’s loses:
#1 Misericordia
#2 DeSales
#3 King's
#4 Manhattanville
If Manhattanville and King’s win and DeSales loses:
#1 Manhattanville
#2 King’s
#3 Misericordia
#4 DeSales
If Manhattanville and DeSales win and King’s loses:
#1 Manhattanville
#2 DeSales
#3 King’s
#4 Misericordia
If Misericordia wins and King’s and DeSales lose:
#1 Misericordia
#2 Manhattanville
#3 King’s
#4 DeSales
If Manhattanville wins and DeSales and King’s lose:
#1 Manhattanville
#2 King’s
#3 Misericordia
#4 DeSales

Here are the basketball tournaments scenarios for the Commonwealth Conference:

Men

Alvernia is #1 and Lebanon Valley #2 and will both host games on Wednesday, February 23.

If Elizabethtown (at Arcadia), Widener (hosts Lycoming), and Albright (at Messiah) win, they all end up 8-6 and will be seeded:
#3 Elizabethtown
#4 Albright
If Elizabethtown and Widener win, and Albright loses:
#3 Widener
#4 Elizabethtown
If Widener wins, and Albright and Elizabethtown lose:
#3 Widener
#4 Messiah
If Albright and Elizabethtown win and Widener loses:
#3 Elizabethtown
#4 Albright
If Albright wins and Elizabethtown and Widener lose:
#3 Albright
#4 Elizabethtown
If Widener and Albright win and Elizabethtown loses:
#3 Albright
#4 Widener
If Elizabethtown wins and Albright and Widener lose:
#3 Elizabethtown
#4 Albright

Women

Lebanon Valley is #1 and Messiah #2 and both will host on Wednesday, February 23.

Widener is #3 and travels to Messiah on Wednesday, February 23.

If Alvernia beats Lebanon Valley (at Annville) or Elizabethtown loses at Arcadia, the Crusaders are #4.

If Alvernia loses to LVC and Elizabethtown beats Arcadia, the Blue Jays can only get the #4 spot by having Albright win (at Messiah) and Lycoming lose (at Widener).

Tuesday, February 15, is the next to last date for basketball conference play and there is a lot on the line for several teams.

Freedom Women

Although Misericordia (9-3) leads the conference, they have two tough games against contenders. Tomorrow they travel to King’s (8-4) and then host Manhattanville (8-4) on Saturday. Although travelling to Doylestown tomorrow, the Valiants will meet a DVC team (3-9) that has to be dispirited after losing to last place Wilkes (2-10) on Senior Day last Saturday. If King’s topples the Cougars, and then knock off arch-rival Wilkes in the finale, a game where they should be heavy favorites, they end up at 10-4. Based on records, DeSales (8-4) has the easiest schedule as they wrap up with FDU and Wilkes. Eastern (6-6) has an outside chance of being in the final four if the Monarchs, Valiants, or Bulldogs lose two and the Eagles prevail over two teams below them in the standings – FDU and DVC.

Commonwealth Women

Lebanon Valley (11-1), Messiah (10-2), and Widener (8-4) are in the tournament and Alvernia has the inside line with a 6-6 record. The Crusaders take on Albright at home tomorrow and then have a tough last game against the LVC Dutchmen. Elizabethtown (5-7) is on the outside looking in, but if they upset the Dutchmen tomorrow at home, they could sneak in as they wrap up the season with last place Arcadia. The Blue Jays and Crusaders split their regular season matchups.

Freedom Men

Six teams have a shot, but only four get a chance in the tournament. DeSales is in the drivers seat at 9-3, but they host a Wilkes team that needs to win to stay in the hunt and then wrap things up with FDU, a team that has become a threat in the second half. The Colonels (7-5) have their hands full after dropping a close one at home to DVC (7-5) on Saturday. After facing the Bulldogs, Wilkes will play to a packed house against cross-town foe King’s (6-6). Besides the tough Wilkes matchup, the Monarchs also have to contend with Misericordia (7-5) at home on Tuesday. Misericordia finishes up with Manhattanville (5-7), a team that has to win both games to have a long shot chance. Besides having to beat the Cougars on the road, they have to beat Delaware Valley in Doylestown tomorrow. The Aggies may have the most favorable schedule, because after taking on the Valiants at home tomorrow they travel to Eastern on Saturday.

Commonwealth Men

Similar to the Freedom, six teams are alive for four spots. Alvernia leads the conference at 10-2 and is in the tournament, but they face two of their biggest challenges in the next five days. Cross-town rival Albright (7-5) comes to the Crusaders after smarting from a close home loss to LVC. Alvernia faces Lebanon Valley (8-4) in the finale. The Dutchmen have been the hottest team in the second half, but besides Alvernia, tomorrow they head to rival Elizabethtown (7-5). Since being ranked #1 in the region, the Blue Jays have struggled; if they beat LVC and then top Arcadia (last place team), they are back in the hunt to host a first round game. Messiah (6-6) has to beat Albright and Lycoming to stay viable. Widener (6-6) seemed dead a few days ago, but a buzzer beater on Saturday, keeps them in the game as they have the easiest schedule of the contenders – Arcadia and Lycoming.

After tomorrow night, things will become clearer!

Sunday evening the 63rd MAC swimming championships concluded with Albright winning the men and Widener taking top spot for the women. Each championship came down to the last relay. Besides the swimming events, the annual belly flop contest, senior recognition, and line dancing led by the LVC Flying Dutchman added spice to the evening. Here are the medal totals:

For the women, seven teams won hardware:
Albright: 1 gold, 7 silver, and 8 bronze for a total of 16
Widener: 8 gold, 5 silver, and 2 bronze for a total 15
Misericordia: 3 gold, 3 silver, and 5 bronze for a total of 11
Lycoming: 2 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze for a total of 5
Messiah: 3 gold and 1 bronze for a total of 4
Elizabethtown: 2 silver for a total of 2
King’s: 1 gold for a total of 1

For the men, three teams dominated the championships:
Albright: 10 gold, 7 silver, and 6 bronze for a total 23
Misericordia: 7 gold, 4 silver, and 6 bronze for a total of 17
Widener: 1 gold, 7 silver, and 6 bronze for a total of 14

Each year the meet gets faster, these records (pool – P, MAC championship – C, and MAC overall – M) reinforce that fact:

Men’s 1650 Free 16:38.36 P Joe Deighan, Albright
Women’s 200 Back 2:08.97 P Katelyn Sagaser, Messiah
Women’s 100 Free 51.90 C/M Laura Harris, Widener
Men’s 200 Breast 2:05.58 P/C Jeff Clark, Misericordia
Men’s 400 Free Relay 3:09.84 P Misericordia
Men’s 200 Medley Relay 1:33.78 P/C/M Misericordia
Women’s 100 Fly 56.96 P/C/M Laura Harris, Widener
Women’s 100 Breast 1:06.13 P/C Stacy Flick, Lycoming
Men’s 100 Breast 56.78 P/C/M Jeff Clark, Misericordia
Women’s 100 Back 58.74 C/M Katelyn Sagaser, Messiah
Men’s 100 Back 51.67 P/C Chris Sheerer, Albright
Women’s 800 Free Relay 7:58.89 P Widener
Men’s 800 Free Relay 7:02.88 P Widener
Men’s 200 Free Relay 1:24.85 P/C/M Misericordia
Women’s 50 Free 23.83 C/M Laura Harris, Widener
Men’s 50 Free 21:00 P/C Greg Vossler, Misericordia
Men’s 400 Medley Relay 3:28.03 P/C/M Misericordia

Heading into the final day of the 63rd annual MAC swimming championships, the race for the championship has not been closer in years. Misericordia and Widener are within four points of each other for the women, and Albright, Misericordia, and Widener men's teams have 19 points separating the three of them. It may all come down to the last race. Yesterday, besides several dance exhibitions, the Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchman led a line dance that included swimmers and coaches. Today’s highlight features the cannon ball contest prior to finals at 5 PM. The senior recognition at 4:45 is an emotional time for all involved.

Many long-time records fell yesterday:

The Misericordia men’s 200 medley relay team wet a pool, MAC, and championship record with a mark of 1.33.78; in a time trail later in the evening they lowered that time to 1:33.33.

Laura Harris, a Widener FY, topped pool, MAC, and championship records in the 100 fly with a time of 56.96.

Lycoming’s Stacy Flick set new pool and championship records in the 100 breast with a mark of 1:06.13.

Jeff Clark, Misericordia senior, set pool, MAC, and championship record in the 100 breast.

Katelynn Sagaser, a Messiah transfer, topped old MAC and championship records with a 58.74 in the 100 back.

Albright’s senior Chris Sheerer established new pool and championship standards in the 100 back with a time of 51.67.

Today other records will fall as the team championship battle continues!

After day #1 at the 63rd MAC swimming championships, Albright, Widener, and Misericordia dominate the men’s and women’s results – Albright leads the men with 231 points and Misericordia tops the women with 187. Todays prelims start at 9 AM, with the finals at 5 PM. Saturday is always the biggest day, so seating is always at a premium for the evening session.

In the 200 yard freestyle relay, the Misericordia women edged Albright with a time of 1:40.18 while the Cougar men set pool and MAC records with a time of 1:24.85. Adam Grzech, Jeff Clark, Eric Schollmeyer, and Greg Vossler achieved the record.

In the 500 yard freestyle, Widener women took the top two places (Kelsey Lake, 1st at 5:18.82 and Colleen Tighe 2nd) and Albrights Allie Fies finished 3rd. For the men, Albright’s Eric Karmer won the event for the third time in his career at 4:43.50. Widener’s Jordan Mulligan ended up 2nd and Zach McElhany (Albright) took the third spot.

In the 200 year individual medley, newcomer Katelynn Sagaser (Messiah transfer) won at 2:12.14. She was followed by two Albright swimmers – Madison Hauk and Aimee Snyder. The Albright men took the top two spots as Joe Deighan edged teammate, and MAC record holder, Chris Sheerer with a time of 1:55.37. Misericordia’s Jeff Clark rounded out the medal winners at 3rd.

Laura Snyder, Widener’s top FY swimmer, set conference records in the 50 yard freestyle in prelims with a 23.83 and won the event in the evening at 23.93. She was followed by Chelsea Mixon (Misericordia) and Tricia Janowiak (Albright FY). The Misericordia men took three of the top four spots with Greg Vossler winning at 21.00 flat, a pool and MAC championship record. Albright’s Timmy Pierce landed second and the Cougars Adam Grzech took third.

In the final event of the evening, the Misericordia women won the 400 yeard medley realy at 4:01.34. Widener took second and Albright finished third. The Misericordia men set pool and MAC records (Jeff Clark, Greg Vossler, Matt Moates, and Adam Grzech) with a time of 3:28.03. They were followed by Albright and Widener.

Lots of records!

With three conference games to go, MAC basketball has lots of hot races for the four tournament spots in each conference. The Alvernia men, Messiah women, and Lebanon Valley women are the only teams that are in – 13 other spots are up for grabs.

Commonwealth Men

The big match up has Lebanon Valley travelling to Albright. Both teams are 7-4 – the winner stays in the hunt to host a first round game. After knocking off #2 Elizabethtown, Lycoming (4-7) stayed alive and now take their slim tournament chances on the road at top seed Alvernia (9-2). Widener (5-6) has to win at Elizabethtown (7-4) to stay in the race. The Blue Jays have struggled in the last two games, so the Pride hope to catch them in this downward spin. Messiah (5-6) has to win at home against last place Arcadia.

Commonwealth Women

The two front runners, Lebanon Valley and Messiah are heavy favorites this weekend after battling each other on Wednesday, with the Falcons knocking the Dutchman from their commanding perch (#9 in one poll and undefeated in the conference). The Falcons (9-2) host Arcadia (1-10) while LVC (10-1) heads to Reading to face the Albright Lions (3-8).

Freedom Men

After their last second win at Misericordia, DeSales (8-3) returns home to host King’s (6-5). The Monarchs are tied with Misericordia and Delaware Valley – only two of the three teams can make tournament. Misericordia hosts FDU – the Devils have shown some spark in the second half of the season, so the Cougars could have their hands full. The second half has not been good to the Aggies, losing four in a row. They have to head to tough Wilkes (7-4) home court to reverse the trend. The loser of the Eastern/Manhattanville game is out of it, the winner has a mathematical, but unlikely chance to make the final four.

Freedom women

King’s (8-3) has to go to DeSales (7-4) – hosting a first round game is on the line. Misericordia (8-3), tied with the Monarchs, host FDU, a team that has struggled lately. Eastern’s (6-5) strong run this year can be sustained with a win at Manhattanville (7-4); a loss and they probably have to wait until next year for a tournament spot. Wilkes and Delaware Valley, both having tough seasons, play for bragging rights.

Some things should become clearer after the weekend!?

The MAC and the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center are prepared to host the 64th annual Middle Atlantic Conference swimming championships February 11-13 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. In 2010, Lycoming won the women’s competition and Widener captured the men’s championship. For the Pride, it was their fifth straight and for the Warriors, their first since 1997. This year Widener may have their biggest challenge in years as Albright and Misericordia seem poised to give them a run. For Lycoming women to repeat, they will have to fend off the Cougars, Pride, and Lions. Widener’s women may have the best team since they last won the conference in 1994. Leading the way for the Pride is FY Laura Harris who is seeded first in six events. Another Widener FY, Colleen Tighe is seeded first in the 1650 and may make a mark in other distance events with teammate Kelsey Lake, the top seed in the 500. Another newcomer, Elizabethtown’s Abby Mitchell, is top seed in the 200 Butterfly. Two upper class women are also likely to show well. Lycoming senior Stacy Flick is the top seed in the 200 and 100 Breast, and Aimee Snyder, an Albright junior, is the top seed in the 400 IM. The men have several returning studs. Senior Jeff Clark from Misericordia is the top seed in the 100 and 200 Breast and 200 IM. He set MAC championship records in the two Breaststroke events last year. His teammate, senior Greg Vossler is the top seed in the 50 Free. Albright has two returning Eavenson (swimmer of the meet) Award winners. 2008 award winner Eric Kramer (Senior) is the favorite in the 1650, 500, and 200 Free; his teammate, Chris Sheerer, another senior, won the award in 2009 and 2010 and is a conference record holder in the 200 Back and 200 IM. Albright’s Adam Kurtz, a sophomore, is the top seed in the 100 Butterfly. As usual, Widener has several strong entries. Newcomer Michael Cawley is top seed in the 100 Back. Returnees Charles Schindler, junior top seed in the 400 IM, Jesse Bregman, senior top seed and 2010 winner of the 100 Free, and Michael Roth, sophomore top seed in the 200 Butterfly, will score lots of points to help the Pride retain their championship ways. The preliminary round starts at Noon on Friday.

With two weeks, and four conference games, left in MAC basketball season, there are some critical match ups to determine the four tournament spots in each conference. For the men, it has been a great year with 13 of 16 teams compiling winning records and an overall record of 189-139 (58%). The Commonwealth is 95-67 (59%) and the Freedom is 94-72 (57%). The women have not been quite as strong, but do have an overall 55% winning percentage (183-149). The Commonwealth has been more dominant at 95-70 (58%) while the Freedom logs in at 88-79 (53%).

Commonwealth Men

Thus far, Alvernia (9-1, 13-5) has been the class of the conference, losing only to Elizabethtown (7-3, 16-4), last week’s #1 seed in the region. On Wednesday, the Crusaders travel to Widener (4-6, 9-12) in a must win game for the Pride. A loss would put Widener in an unusual spot, not competing for the conference championship. Elizabethtown stumbled against archrival Messiah (5-5, 10-10) last week and heads to Williamsport in last gasp attempt by Lycoming (3-7, 13-8) to possibly land a tournament spot. The Warriors have had a great non-conference record, but have struggled against conference foes. The key matchup on Wednesday has Messiah driving to Annville to take on a revitalized Lebanon Valley (6-4, 15-6) squad. The first half did not go well for the Dutchmen, but they are now tied with Albright for the final two tournament spots. Messiah must win to keep pace with the Lions and LVC; Albright is likely to prevail as they play Arcadia, winless in 10 conference tries.

Freedom Men

DeSales (7-3, 16-5) is in a familiar spot as the team to beat in the Freedom. After a shaky first half, the Bulldogs now sit on top of the conference after beating Delaware Valley (6-4, 12-9) in Doylestown on Sunday. The Aggies were 6-1 in the first half, but have dropped three straight in the second half. They host King’s (5-5, 13-8) on Wednesday in a must win for each team. DeSales makes their way to Dallas for an important game with Misericordia (6-4, 13-8); with a win, Scott Coval’s squad looks like the top dogs going into the last week of the season. Wilkes (6-4, 13-7) has also emerged in the second half and is now tied with the Cougars and Aggies for second. Eastern (4-6, 11-9) comes to Wilkes-Barre for a do or die situation with the Colonels. A loss, and they are pretty much eliminated from tournament play; a win and they tighten the race among six teams. Manhattanville (4-6, 12-9), like Eastern, has to win at FDU to maintain any hope for post-season play. Although out of the tournament picture, the Devils can keep their spoiler role as they did against Delaware Valley last week.

Commonwealth Women

Lebanon Valley (10-0, 20-1) wants to maintain their leap into elite company, the top ten in Division III, when they host perennial nemesis Messiah (8-2, 14-6) on Wednesday. The Dutchmen won the first matchup easily in Grantham, but the Falcons have emerged from about a .500 record at that time to a place they are familiar, challenging for the conference championship. As these two teams have proved over the last several years, it is tough to win three straight against the same opponent. Wednesday may, or may not, set up that scenario again. Third and fourth place are up for grabs as Widener (6-4, 15-6) and Alvernia (5-5, 12-9) tangle in Chester. If the Pride wins, they assure a tournament spot; the Crusaders need to win to avoid a tie with either Elizabethtown (4-6, 12-8) or Lycoming (4-6, 9-12) for the fourth spot. The Jays travel to Williamsport to see who will stay alive for post-season possibilities. Albright and Arcadia, both out of the tournament picture, play for pride in Glenside.

Freedom Women

A three- way tie for first ends on Wednesday night. King’s (7-3, 13-8) visits Delaware Valley (3-7, 9-12) – while the Monarchs have to be favorites, the Aggies are having an off year but still have the presence to be a spoiler. The DeSales (7-3, 14-7) game at Misericordia (7-3, 13-8) will drop one team from first to third. Manhattanville (6-4, 13-8) take the short hop to Madison, for a must win game for FDU (4-6, 8-12). A Devils win, and they still have an outside shot of a tournament spot; a Valiants win and they stay with the top of the league. Eastern (5-5, 13-8), perhaps the most improved team in the conference, visits Wilkes to keep their tournament chances alive.

Don’t’ forget about MAC swimming championships at the Catholic Youth Center this weekend (Friday-Sunday). More on that later.

With the start of the new year and the beginning of intense conference play, MAC schools have built impressive non-conference records and there are some early surprises in conference play. The DeSales men and women and Messiah women, perennial conference contenders, have stumbled at times, but will likely battle to be in the tournament picture.

The MAC women teams have compiled a 59% winning percentage against non-conference foes while their male counterparts have more impressive results logging a 64% winning percentage. Of special note: the Commonwealth men are 51-26 in non-conference play (66%).

The Alvernia, Widener, and Delaware Valley men start the conference season undefeated (3-0). Alvernia leads the conference in points allowed with a 62.6 average, scoring with Charles Swiggett (22.8 ppg), and rebounding (9.2) and blocked shots (4.2) by Cory Boone. Widener has shown balance in their offense and defense and is led in scoring by Jack Brennan (13.4 ppg) and rebounding by Brennan (7.0) and Jarrell Nelson (6.3). James Jones (16.5) and Jeremy Beckett (15.7) top DVC in scoring. Beckett leads the conference in rebounding (10.7) and blocked shots (2.1).

For the women, Lebanon Valley, Widener, King’s, and Misericordia have perfect conference records (3-0). In getting out to a fast start, the Dutchmen and Pride have overwhelmed opponents with impressive scoring (LVC 20.1, Widener 11.7) and rebounding margins (Widener 10.3 and LVC 8.2). They also lead the conference in assists (Widener 17.1, LVC 17). Misericordia’s Christine Marks (17.7) and King’s Celia Rader (15.9) lead their teams in scoring and Marks leads the conference in rebounding (11.0).

A full slate of games on Wednesday begins non-stop conference action until the February tournaments.

As the Messiah women’s soccer team stepped off the field in San Antonio on Saturday night after a crushing 2-1 defeat to Hardin Simmons in the NCAA championship game, the MAC fall 2010 season came to a close. As usual, conference teams showed well in the national and regional arena, with Messiah again enjoying spectacular results in men’s and women’s soccer and field hockey.

Messiah women’s soccer (24-1), ranked #1 for the season, was only challenged seriously in their two games with Johns Hopkins until they ran into Hardin Simmons. The Cowgirls scored two goals in the first six minutes of play, and despite holding the ball the entire second half, the Falcons couldn’t push by the equalizer. Although disappointed that they didn’t grab their third national title in a row, this group of seniors, led by 2008 National Player of the Year Amanda Naeher, did end up with two national championships and two national runner-ups. For most programs, that would have been an unbelievable record. In the Freedom Conference, Manhattanville (4-14-3) won enough conference games to get into the tournament and then knocked off two-time champion Eastern and high powered Fairleigh Dickinson to capture the conference crown and qualify for the NCAA’s. Misericordia, Lebanon Valley, Alvernia, and Fairleigh Dickinson all qualified for the ECAC’s with the Crusaders and Devils making it to the semi-final round.

Elizabethtown cross country recorded the best season for the MAC in decades. After capturing the MAC championship at Delaware Valley where the men took eight of the top ten spots, the Blue Jay harriers finished 14th at the NCAA meet at Wartburg, Iowa. Although the women had a tougher time winning the conference than the men, they had a higher finish (11th) at nationals. Three top MAC performers qualified for the NCAA meet at the Slippery Rock regional race. Tyler Newhook, Messiah junior, who won the MAC race in 2009, took 89th at Wartburg. Jenn Cronin, Lebanon Valley senior, took second at the MAC meet and just missed All-America with a 41th place finish in the NCAA’s. Delaware Valley’s standout senior runner, Caitlin Dorgan, won seven straight races (including the MAC title), missed winning regional’s by a nose, and earned All-America honors with a 28th place finish in Iowa.

Messiah men’s soccer (23-1) earned their eighth national championship with an overtime 2-1 win over a very tenacious Lynchburg side. Although the semi-final score against Wisconsin - Oshkosh looked lopsided (4-1), the Falcons had to battle the entire game - with four minutes to go, the score could have been 2-2 on a missed chance by the underdog Titans. In the championship game, Messiah did not score until the 87th minute to force the overtime. The Falcons also had to go into overtime in the second round against Montclair to come away with another 2-1 win. DeSales (15-5-2), Freedom Conference champions, battled Swarthmore to a 2-1 loss at the Quakers field. Lebanon Valley, Misericordia, and Fairleigh Dickinson qualified for the ECAC tournament. The Cougars advanced to the semi-final game.

Three of the final eight NCAA championship field hockey team hailed from the MAC. Eastern (20-3) was denied a trip to the Final Four when Skidmore outlasted them 4-3, and Bowdoin, the host and eventual national champion, had to go to overtime to beat 19-3 Lebanon Valley 4-3. This was not a good draw for the Dutchmen who had been ranked in the top two most of the season and had to travel 496 miles to the regional site. Messiah (19-3) cruised through their three first opponents, outscoring them15-1, before getting locked up in a defensive struggle with Bowdoin at Christopher Newport. The Bears emerged with a 2-1 win after overtime and strokes. Alvernia and Fairleigh Dickinson had postseason opportunities in the ECAC tournament.

Eastern volleyball (30-5) had knocked off several top ten teams in the regular season, but ended up traveling to a regional that included two of them (Colorado College and host Christopher Newport). The Eagles easily won the first round against Richard Stockton before falling to the hosts 3-2 after being up 2-1. Lebanon Valley won a third straight Commonwealth Championship and then earned their first NCAA tournament win by beating Ithaca 3-1; the next day they lost 3-0 to former conference foe, and perennial national power, Juniata (lost 3-2 in the semi-final round to eventual national champion Calvin). DeSales and Fairleigh Dickinson each played in the ECAC tournament with the Devils winning their bracket.

Until losing to Widener in the last regular season football game by a point, Delaware Valley had dominated the MAC. That loss set them up for the unenviable prospect of playing Mount Union, the best program in Division III over the past 15 years, in the second round. After dealing with Salisbury at home 23-12 in the first round, the Aggies headed out to Alliance, Ohio. After giving up an 81 yard touchdown run to the Purple Raiders on their first play of the game, DVC shut them out until the two minute mark of the second quarter. At that point, with the score 7-0, the Aggies had a first and goal on the two and looked to be heading to the locker room with a7-7 tie. Instead, in the next two minutes, a bad penalty and long kickoff return resulted in a 14-3 halftime score. In the second half the DVC defense did their job, but the offense was hampered by the injury to Matt Cook, MAC offensive player of the year. Although the Aggies lost, the Mount had to battle the entire game. Wilkes and Lebanon Valley received ECAC Bowl bids against Centennial foes Moravian and Johns Hopkins, but neither MAC squad prevailed.

For the first time, both individual tennis tournaments were conducted at the King’s/Wilkes courts in October. The Wilkes women dominated the tournament by winning all nine titles. In the men’s competition, Wilkes won four titles (#4, #5, and #6 singles and #2 doubles), Manhattanville captured three medals (#2 singles, and #1 and #3 doubles), and Eastern (#3 singles) and Elizabethtown (#1 singles) each won a bracket.

And with that, we are now heavily into basketball, swimming, and indoor track & field.

What is becoming a fall tradition, Messiah completed another phenomenal weekend. Men’s soccer easily defeated Medaille 2-0 on Saturday and dominated Merchant Marine 3-0 on Sunday; women’s soccer cruised by Dickinson 3-0, but had their toughest challenge in a while prevailing over Johns Hopkins 2-1. With these wins, the soccer teams now travel to San Antonio for the Final Four on November 3-4. On Friday, the men (21-1) face Wisconsin-Oshkosh (20-0-3) at Noon (ET) and the women (23-0) play William Smith (18-2-3). Assuming they win, the men will play the winner of Bowdoin (15-1-4) and Lynchburg (19-4-1) on Saturday; the women take on either Harden Simmons (23-0) or Otterbein (20-0-3) at 6 (ET). Field hockey looked as though they were set to give Jan Trapp her first national championship as they overwhelmed the tournament field, but two-time national champion Bowdoin had other plans on Sunday. Both teams had been scoring at will (Bowdoin’s closest call was a 4-3 overtime win over Lebanon Valley in Maine), but Sunday ended 1-1 in regulation with the Falcons coming up short on strokes (2-1) after the overtime.

Delaware Valley football (9-2) scored another NCAA championship victory by knocking off Salisbury at home 23-12. They travel to Alliance, Ohio this weekend to face off with ten-time national champion Mount Union, ranked #2 in the nation. After winning the Ohio Athletic Conference, the Purple Raiders overwhelmed Liberty League Champion St. Lawrence 49-0 in the first round of the NCAA’s. Mount Union and Wisconsin-Whitewater have competed in the last five Stagg Bowls in Salem, Va. If the Aggies happened to upset the Mount, they would have to be contenders for a spot in the championship. While it may seem a daunting task, DVC is well balanced with a great defense and a significant running and passing game so the Raiders will have to prepare for all aspects of the game.

The Elizabethtown harriers represented the conference in top fashion at Wartburg, Iowa on Saturday with the women finishing 11th and the men 14th. The three MAC individual competitors also had fine races with Caitlin Dorgan (DVC) attaining All-America status finishing 28th, Jenn Cronin (LVC) just missing All America placing 41st, and Messiah’s Tyler Newhook finishing 89th in the men’s race.

The Lycoming men and Lebanon Valley women are off to 4-0 starts in basketball.

On Friday, the MAC had nine teams involved in NCAA championships and today they have six plus three individuals. Over the weekend, fall championship teams compiled a 9-6 record with Messiah’s soccer teams and field hockey team advancing.

In volleyball, Lebanon Valley defeated Ithaca 3-1 before falling to perennial national power Juniata, and Eastern had an easy time with Richard Stockton (3-0) before succumbing to Christopher Newport (3-2), a team the Eagles had beaten earlier in the year. Both Juniata and CNU won again on Sunday and head to St. Louis with six other teams to compete for the national crown. Fairleigh Dickinson Florham, seeded third in the ECAC Metro/Upstate volleyball tournament, upended #2 seed Ramapo and then finished the job against #1 seed Elmira to bring home the hardware.

In field hockey, Eastern defeated Stevens 1-0 and then fell to host Skidmore 4-3 while Lebanon Valley used their scoring prowess to knock off Cortland 5-4 and then lose to host Bowdoin 4-3 in overtime. Messiah had an easy time advancing by beating Lynchburg 7-0 and Salisbury 4-1. The Lynchburg victory avenged a 2-1 defeat in Virginia earlier in the season, and the Falcons, loser of the 2009 championship game to Salisbury 1-0, have now topped the Seagulls twice this year (3-0 in Grantham earlier is season). They now face Ursinus in the semi-finals at 11 AM at Christopher Newport University, a team they defeated earlier at Collegeville 4-2 and in last year’s semi-finals 4-3.

In men’s soccer, DeSales lost a tough one to Swarthmore on their field 2-1. Messiah had to go to overtime to top Montclair 2-1 at home and now play Medaille, penalty kick winner over Swarthmore.

In women’s soccer, #1 Messiah easily handled MAC foe Manhattanville and NJAC representative Rowan by identical scores, 4-0. They now face Dickinson.

With cross country regionals behind them, two MAC teams and three individuals prepare to travel to Wartburg, Iowa next weekend for the NCAA championship meet. Elizabethtown, winners of the men’s and women’s races at the MAC meet two weeks ago, ran third (women) and fourth (men) at Slippery Rock this past Saturday and earned at-large bids for their performance. Caitlin Dorgan, Delaware Valley runner who had won seven straight races, took second at regionals by a nose – the film had to be reviewed to verify the finish. She, Jenn Cronin, Lebanon Valley, and Tyler Newhook, Messiah join the two Blue Jay teams in Iowa.

It was not mystery heading into the last week on conference play that Delaware Valley (6-1, 8-2) was conference champion and would by the MAC AQ in the NCAA championships. What was a surprise, was their loss to rival Widener 28-27 as the clock ran out. The Pride (4-3, 5-5) ended the season by defeating the two top MAC teams – DVC and Wilkes. Despite the loss, the Aggies host Salisbury at Noon this Saturday and if they win, are likely to head to Alliance, Ohio to face perennial national champion Mount Union who plays a 5-5 St. Lawrence team in the first round. Lebanon Valley (5-2, 6-4) was picked to finish second in the conference, but after opening the season 1-4, a winning record looked like a challenge. They responded with five straight wins, the last this weekend against Albright (3-4, 5-5), to earn an ECAC Bowl bid for the second year in a row. They go to Baltimore to challenge Centennial foe Johns Hopkins (7-3). Based on records, it didn’t look as though King’s (1-6, 1-9) would have much of a chance against in-town rival Wilkes (5-2, 6-4), but the Colonels needed everything to prevail 21-17 and earn an ECAC bid at home against Moravian, loser to Lebanon Valley in the third week of the season. After three straight conference losses, Lycoming (4-3, 6-4) had to pull all the stops to beat FDU (0-7, 3-7) 17-10 in Madison.