SMALL COLLEGE NEWS … Despite a change in coaches, Messiah rolls on. The 2008 NCAA Division III champion won its first two games under Brad McCarty, who was the Falcons’ top assistant coach for the previous eight years and promoted to head coach when Dave Brandt took the Navy job. Messiah beat Gordon, 5-0, and Fredonia State, 3-0, getting seven of its eight goals in the second half.
A crowd of 1,750 packed Shoemaker Field for the opener in which Nick Thompson opened the scoring with two goals and Derek Black followed with a hat trick in a little more than 10 minutes. “Sometimes it takes a first half to wear down an opponent before you finish some opportunities,” McCarty said.
NSCAA/adidas Top 25 Rankings:
MEN:
NCAA Division II 1. Tampa, 2 Northern Kentucky, 3. Millersville
NCAA Division III 1. Messiah, 2. Stevens Tech, 3. Amherst
WOMEN:
NCAA Division II 1. Seattle Pacific, 2 West Florida, 3. St. Rose
NCAA Division III 1. Messiah, 2. Puget Sound, 3. Williams
NAIA Women’s Players of the Week
Offense: Sarah Akers, Campbellsville (shutouts against Bluefield and Bryan)
Defense: Kimmia Parker, Rogers State (Jamaican international had six goals in 18-0 win over Bacone)
Offense: Abass Ayembillah, Texas-Brownsville (hat trick in the 5-1 upset over No. 16 Southern Nazarene)
Defense: Tanner Fox, Benedictine (recorded wins over Hastings and Sioux Falls)