In short, Saturday gave us a crazy and exciting couple of matches! You can read about both in the headlines, but if you feel tired out after watching the action, join the crowd.

Each match went down to the wire, and each match presented something that hasn’t been a common sight in college soccer these past few years: Messiah teams down a goal. Lynchburg did that to the Falcon men late in their match, and Hardin-Simmons did just that to the Falcon women in the second match.

The Messiah women haven’t lost a match since the Final Four in 2007, and have only given up three goals in the 2010 season. It was quite a sight to see the Falcon pressure in the second half of the women’s final.

It really was a great Saturday for NCAA Division III soccer. Our congratulations to the Hardin-Simmons Cowgirls on their first national championship, and to the Messiah Falcons for their eighth. Well done!

Hardin-Simmons soccer · Messiah soccer · NCAA soccer championship

That second half was one for the memory book. While Messiah developed their offensive attack in a more coordinated fashion than did Lynchburg, it was Lynchburg who had the opportunities – and the statistical advantage.

After Michael Abbonizio scored for Lynchburg off a beautiful (almost Messiah-like) 20+ yard shot that was up in the corner, it looked like the Hornets were on their way to the upset of the decade. But in the final seven minutes, Dan Squire scored for the Falcons on a very controversial play.

Overtime starts.

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Maybe Lynchburg’s post-season run wasn’t so unexpected? Maybe we all should have seen that this team has what it takes to get deep into the tournament. For now, it is 0-0 at the half, the Hornets lead the Falcons 5-3 in shots, and the Falcons have no shots on goal thus far.

But Messiah has been rotating their players off the bench in order to conserve energy against against the heat of San Antonio and the speed of Lynchburg. Fresh legs in the second half might be a difference, as it is tough to imagine Pezon or the elder Thompsons without a point in a national championship match. And as we have seen before, Messiah can put two or three goals together in a short span of time. So it is safe to say that we’ll see a different second half of play than we did in the first.

Lynchburg soccer · Messiah

As you can see by taking a look at the stories above, Friday’s semifinals provided an exciting day of soccer; aggressive attacking, superb passing, great goals, stalwart defenses, and great goal tending. We witnessed shut-outs, close matches, laser like shots, an overtime Golden Goal, and a round of penalty kicks. It was a rewarding day for Division III soccer fans, and a day that put the strength of these programs on display.

At 1:00, Messiah and the surprising Lynchburg Hornets play for the title. As you can read in James Derrick’s article, this match is a tough one to predict. Dial in and watch this one!

At 5:00, Messiah faces Hardin-Simmons in the No. 1 versus No. 2 match that we wish we could see in every NCAA Division III final. Can the Cowgirls withstand the almost incredible offense that the Falcons bring to every match? This will be a great one to watch, and a real test for the first-timer Cowgirls and their coach Marcus Wood.

On to the players themselves; who do you think should be recognized for their play on Friday? If you had to pick a men’s and women’s player of the day, who would it be? Let us know.

Hardin-Simmons · Lynchburg · Messiah · NCAA soccer · Soccer Final Four

After a match in which Bowdoin dominiated in the stats column, the Polar Bears gave up a goal in the 88th minute to allow Lynchburg back in the run. Throughout the match, Bowdoin had opportunites off good shots, but found the crossbar (and other objects) instead. So at 1-1, the golden goal opportunities begin.

Here is the summary from James Derrick:

Second half ends in thrilling manner, albeit after long spells of boredom. The long-ball finally paid off for Bowdoin as Ben Brewster slotted home a roller, after connecting with Bishop’s chip into the box. Bowdoin had few chances following, but Lynchburg was just as lacking in their offensive third. A long Lynchburg cross into the box with two minutes on the clock found Scott Coleman, and his shot, after taking a cruel deflection off of Bishop, found its way past Dan Hicks for an unbelievable equalizer, in unbelievable fashion. With the momentum, and large spells of attacking, Lynchburg may very well be on their way to the National Championship.

Bowdoin soccer · d3soccer · Lynchburg soccer · NCAA Final Four soccer

What a match thus far! Messiah up 2-1 and dangerous on every attack. But Oshkosh has had two of the best opportunities of the half: a one on one with the keeper early, and an open net, both missed. But after going down 2-0, the Titans continued the pressure and finally converted late.

James Derrick, one of our D3soccer.com writers, has this to say from Texas: Messiah’s Renko is one of the reasons the Falcons may win this match. His distribution has been very effective. Another reason is Messiah’s use of the field -going wide frequently, and to speedy mid-fielders Black and Ramirez.

But Messiah will have to keep an eye on Starnes. He is fast and has great touch, and he had a chance (a great chance) to make this one 1-0 early. He will be in the mix in the second half. But Oshkosh has to watch how Messiah is using the width of the pitch to spread out that strong Oshkosh defense.

The second half is set to begin, so we’ll see how things work out. If Messiah scores again early, it may be too much for the Titans.

Messiah soccer · NCAA mens final four · Oshkosh soccer

The 2010 season has now come to this: the final four teams on each side, fighting for that elusive NCAA National Championship trophy. That piece of hardware is not easy to capture in any sport, much less in a crowded field like soccer. But today, we’ll see that crowded field work its way down to two men’s sides and two women’s sides. And in the process, we’ll see if that coveted trophy has a chance at landing somewhere other than in Grantham, PA.

Friday’s action begins at 11:00 and doesn’t wrap up until 9:00 p.m. or so. Our own scoreboard will keep you updated, but the NCAA will also be streaming live video, so there really isn’t an excuse for not diving deep into this year’s tournament.

We love this stuff too, so D3soccer.com has three hardy souls spending the warm weekend in San Antonio. We’ll be posting photos, match stories, and interviews all weekend long, so check back with us for the complete story.

Enjoy the competition, the action, and the true nature of the sport that is played purely for the love of the game. That’s the spirit of NCAA Division III athletics, and that’s what we are all about.

D3 soccer · NCAA Final Four · NCAA soccer

All of us at D3sports.com hope that the Thanksgiving holiday was a special time for you, and your friends and family. It is a great time to remember to never fall into the habit of overlooking those good things we sometimes take for granted.

Have you finished reading about the NCAA football second round playoffs on D3football.com? Or perhaps you’ve been reviewing the first few weeks of the new basketball season on D3hoops.com? Hey, it’s time to swing the spotlight back over to soccer, San Antonio, and the Final Four! And we’ll give you some good reasons to do so.

In the next few days, we will be releasing previews of the Final Four teams, as well as a look back at the Championship Tournaments from 1980, 1990, and 2000. And of course, we will take a close look at the semifinal matches.

So check back often and we’ll be there to help you get a grip on all the facts around the action coming up in Texas.

2010 soccer final four · D3 soccer championships · NCAA soccer · soccer San Antonio

With today’s tough-it-out 2-1 win over No. 8 Emory, the Cowgirls of Hardin-Simmons University now move into new territory, but not on unfamiliar ground.

No. 2 Hardin-Simmons has been to the Elite Eight once before in 2006. That run ended in a 3-0 loss at eventual national champion Wheaton (Ill.). Ironically, Wheaton was in the HSU sectional this weekend, but a rematch was not in the cards as Emory advanced past the Thunder on PKs. But four years later and with an injury-free line-up, Coach Marcus Wood was ready to push his team farther into post-season play and get the Cowgirls into position for a run at the national title. With Friday’s 2-0 shut-out of upstart Redlands, and Saturday’s victory over a strong Emory team, Coach Wood and his team have their chance.

While Hardin-Simmons will now be thinking about that Final Four tournament experience in two weeks, what they don’t have to worry about is the in-state trip to San Antonio. The team has been there before, playing SCAC foe Trinity over 10 times in past seasons. While the tournament matches will be played across town at the Blossom Soccer complex, the Cowgirls should feel at home.

This is a great story and a nice outcome for a program that has been a national competitor for over five years, slowing building a solid tradition of soccer excellence. The only thing left to do is to wait for Sunday’s results, and then to win just two more matches. With no disrespect for Williams, Otterbein, William Smith and others, a No. 1 versus No. 2 match-up in the final would be something to see.

D3 soccer · Hardin-Simmons · texas soccer · women's soccer

Those two wins by Medaille on Saturday and Sunday were impressive. And not having appeared in the Top 25 all season, they caught a lot of folks by surprise. You might wonder if the Mavericks are for real, but this is the Sweet 16; certainly not a spot that is easy to fall in to. Especially against Rochester and Swarthmore.

On Saturday, they beat No. 21 Rochester 1-0 in a fairly evenly matched game. Rochester is a defensive team, and so the 1-0 score makes sense, but the Yellow Jackets also score enough to keep things even. And then Sunday, they took out No. 7 Swarthmore in penalty kicks. In that match, the Garnet seemed to have the upper hand with a 26-15 shot advantage, yet upon closer examination, the shots-on-goal spread is tighter; 10 shots to 6. Nick Kurtz for Medaille stopped every one of those 10 shots, some more difficult than others. So what led to all those shots that didn’t make it on goal? Perhaps the large advantage in corners? 16-6 can make a big difference in setting up opportunities to score. But in the end, Kurtz was just hot in the net that night. A hot keeper and a team with a defensive plan and some speed, means that life will be tough for any opponent for those 90 minutes on the pitch, even a top 10 program.

So with the AMCC championship under their belt, and a well-earned Sweet 16 spot, the Mavs get to face Mr. Pezon and Company on Saturday.

Yes, the No. 1 Falcons are beatable. They have had way too many close matches this season for anyone to think that these guys are dominating every match. But in a surreal way, that seems to be a comfortable part of their plan, as it appeared to be last season as well. And two years ago, they took the title in penalties against Stevens. So with their veteran group of the Thompsons, Ramirez, Black, Woodworth, Pezon, and others, all used to last minute heroics, the Falcons will face a team that came close to taking them out in 2008 – and perhaps a team that is plenty used to pressure, heroics, and perhaps more importantly, a healthy dose of confidence that they really can beat anyone.

So how will the Mavericks respond? And was the Medaille run really the story of the first two rounds?

Perhaps, but the Babson win over No. 12 Williams in overtime was impressive, and Lynchburg’s 2-1 win over No. 9 Emory was truly surprising. Any others?

AMCC · Geoff Pezon · Medaille · Messiah · Nick Kurtz · Rochester · Soccer · Swarthmore