WESTFIELD Mass. – The Westfield State Owls women's soccer team will travel to Grantham, Pennsylvania this weekend to face #5-nationally ranked Messiah University on Saturday, November 11 at 1:00 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA Tournament from Shoemaker Field.
The matchup between the Owls and the Messiah Falcons is a repeat matchup of the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament where the Falcons defeated the Owls 4-0.
The Owls capitalized on their 13-6-1 overall record and 6-1 conference record by winning their third straight Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference championship title with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over top-seeded Bridgewater State, granting them an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The title win is the tenth in program history.
Last season, Westfield defeated Emerson College in a 2022 NCAA Tournament first round game, defeating the Lions 2-1 in overtime before falling to host-site University of Scranton in the second round.
The Owls look to build on their postseason success as they take on the Falcons. Throughout the season, the Owls' impressive goal scoring duo of junior Delaney Parker (Orange, MA) and sophomore Kiana Muratsuka (Mililani, Hawaii) have led them to victory. Recently named the MASCAC Offensive Player of the Year, Parker has totaled 18 goals including the game-winning goal against Bridgewater State in the MASCAC Finals. Parker also has a total of ten assists.
Muratsuka, the MASCAC Tournament most valuable player, has totaled 13 goals and ten assists for the Owls on the season.
Sophomore goalkeeper Julia Robak (Chicopee, Mass) has put the work in the net, owning a 9-3 overall record with a 1.38 goals against average and .769 save percentage in 12 games.
#5 Messiah will host a first-round pod in the NCAA tournament after finishing 17-2 on the season. The Falcons received an automatic bid to the tournament after winning their fifth consecutive Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth championship.
For the Falcons, sophomore forward Hannah Adir (Manheim, Pa.) has been crucial to their success and she leads the team with ten goals. Between the pipes, sophomore goalkeeper Ava Wert (Pittsburgh, Pa.) has tallied an impressive 15-0 record with a 0.24 goals against average and an .864 save percentage while only allowing three goals past her this season.
The winner of the Owls and Falcons matchup will face either Williams College or Endicott College on Sunday at 3:00 P.M. with a trip to the sweet sixteen on the line.
For all of women's soccer tournament coverage, including video, live stats, and postgame recap, visit WestfieldStateOwls.com