Jose Figueroa

Box Score

The Blue Streaks enjoyed a fantastic 2023 campaign, ending at Messiah in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal.

John Carroll JCU (16-2-5, 8-0-1)

Messiah MES (21-2-0, 7-0-0)

John Carroll JCU

(16-2-5, 8-0-1)

Final

Nov. 19, 2023

Messiah MES

(21-2-0, 7-0-0)

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
John Carroll JCU	0	0	0
Messiah MES	0	1	1

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | 11/19/2023 3:08:00 PM | Matt Lyons, Staff Writer

Magical Run Ends at Messiah in the Elite 8 for Women's Soccer

GRANTHAM, PA -- Unfortunately, all good stories must come to an end, and it just so happened to be today at Shoemaker Field, as the Messiah Falcons defeated the John Carroll University Blue Streaks by a score of 1-0.

The Cinderella team came into this season with low expectations. In preseason rankings, the Ohio Athletic Conference put JCU fourth. Now, they just played in an Elite 8 matchup and won the OAC Regular Season Title as well as the OAC Tournament Championship.

In this intense Elite 8 matchup, John Carroll hoped to take down a third team in the Top 15. To get here, John Carroll has beaten SUNY Cortland, #8 Case Western Reserve, and #14 MIT. The Blue Streaks are also the only team left in the NCAA Tournament to give up a goal, as they had outscored their opponents 5-0 up to this point.

In order to get to the final four, the Blue Streaks would have to defeat the Eagles of Messiah University. Ranked fifth in the nation, they have had a great run in the NCAA Tournament. They beat Westfield State University in the first round, Williams College in the second round, and Amherst College in the Sweet Sixteen.

As the teams walked to the center circle, the only thing on both teams' minds was the final four. They went into their huddles and Emily Patrzyk kicked things off for the 1 pm kickoff.

Usually, the Blue Streaks start out hot. But instead of being hot for the first ten minutes, it stayed very neutral. The ball was being moved a lot in the neutral third and nobody was able to put a shot on or near the goal.

The first shot came in the 11th minute by the Falcons and Hannah Adair. Given a little bit of open grass, she put a shot towards the net, but was blocked by Brooke Kelly.

Getting a corner, the Falcons tried to put something out, but JCU goalkeeper Madeleine Martin Kosier was able to punch it out. She would be given a shot a minute later by Brittany Laird, but her shot missed high.

The Falcons were taking shots left and right on Kosier to try to score against the Blue Streaks. Adair put one up towards the net, but was grabbed for a save. Mia Libby put one on net, but Kosier jumped up to grab it. And the best attempt in this trio of shots was by Adair. She snuck through the back line to the right of Kosier, putting a shot on net, Adair hit the post and missed the team's eighth shot in five minutes.

The Falcons were putting offensive effort after offensive effort. Seeing the Blue Streak defense bending, Messiah was sending through balls into the box. The defensive pairing of Gabriella Walter and Brooke Kelly were able to read these through balls and clear them from the Laird sisters.

In the 20th minute, the Blue Streaks tried to get the ball into the offensive. Eager to get the ball away from the back line, Taylor Wohleber got a yellow card for her strong defensive efforts.

After trying to get the ball upfield minutes later, the Falcons slipped through and got another corner. Julia Martin passed the ball short to Kaitlyn Laird, who put a nice shot just high of the net for another shot above the crossbar.

The Falcons would get another cross into the box for Mia Libby, who put one off her head. But Kosier grabbed the ball low for another save.

The first good set piece came in the 28th minute. Only 20 yards out, Messiah sent Kristina Akselsen to take the free kick. Instead of shooting towards the net, she sent it to the box trying to find Libby, but Kosier recorded another save.

Thirty minutes in, the Falcons would go for a short corner. Hannah Adair sends a ball into Martin, but John Carroll and Kosier would reject another shot from Messiah.

The Blue Streaks would keep the ball out of their defensive third for the next five minutes. They were clearing balls into the offensive front trying to find Madyson Rosado, but the Falcons centerback Jenna Skurcenski were stopping the offensive efforts.

Trying to erase the tie before halftime, Akselsen and Martin put shots in rapid succession. Akselsen's shot was blocked by Kathryn Shaffer and Martin's shot went wide.

With less than a minute left, Messiah got another corner. And the last attempt of the half would go into the hands of Kosier.

As the clock hit triple zeros, there were two more zeros as neither team had found the back of the net.

Looking at the halftime stats, it was all Messiah University. The Falcons outshot the Blue Streaks 17-0 and 6-0 on net. The Falcons also were in favor of corners, 6-0. The only stat JCU led in were fouls, a stat you do not want to favor in, which they favored 4-1.

Hoping to turn the tides, Michael Marich and the Blue Streaks went to the planning board to try and find a crack in Messiah University's defense. Unfortunately, the Falcons would start with the ball in the second half.

As the center referee blew the whistle, Kaitlyn Laird passed the ball and the second half was underway. And the Falcons left off where they came from. Not even a minute in, Kristina Akselsen put a shot on net that seemed to be in, but landed in the top of the netting for another shot high.

The Falcons kept coming in full flight. Sending crosses in from both sides and getting multiple corners too. The backfield held their ground.

Another corner came into the box in the 51st minute, but Alli Malinky cleared the ball out to Hannah Adair. Adair sent a rocket towards the net, but went wide left for a goal kick.

A minute later, John Carroll had their first opportunity of the game. Meredith Coloian got fouled deep in the offensive zone. Taking the free kick, she sent it on net. Seeing the first shot of the game, Ava Wert punched the shot above the net for her first save of the day.

The Blue Streaks would also receive their first corner of the game from Coloian's shot. Coloian sent a ball in, but was just short of Patrzyk's foot to end the Blue Streak's drive.

Another came off a great opportunity in the 55th minute for the Falcons by Adair. Entering the box one-on-one against Walter, she put a shot on net. But Walter was able to get a read and block the shot.

A minute later, the best opportunity for the Falcons came. Kaitlyn Laird put a shot on net, but was blocked by Walter. The ball then found the foot of her sister Brittany Laird. She put a shot on net, but Kosier was there to reject the shot by punching it high.

Getting a corner, Adair sent it into the box in the 58th minute. Kaitlyn Laird sent in a beautiful strike, but it missed just wide again. Getting the back again, the Falcons got the ball and Adair put another one towards the net, but it was shut down on a high shot.

Another attempt came on the tenth corner of the match in the 61st minute. Straight off the bench, Martin got the first touch on the corner. Off of her head, she puts it high and wide for another great shot attempt.

Trying to suppress the Falcons offense, the Blue Streaks put the ball in the offensive zone, but after a Blue Streak defender slipped, the Falcons had another opportunity. Adair with speed put a shot that beat Kosier, but went wide left for another missed opportunity for the Falcons.

The Falcons kept coming, and the shots kept storming on. Lydia Ring took a shot, but was blocked by Walter. Kaitlyn Laird took another shot, but was blocked by Brooke Kelly. And a third shot came in to Kosier courtesy of Martin, but the hands of Kosier found the ball for another save.

Keeping the tide going, Kristina Akselsen hit the crossbar out of a corner kick. Malinky and the Blue Streaks would clear the ball once again.

The storm kept coming on by Messiah. Ring put another dagger in towards the net for the Falcons in the 76th minute, but the shot was blocked by Shaffer. Two minutes later, Mia Libby slipped through two defenders, but Kosier shut down the opportunity diving to her left.

Trying to break the tide, the Blue Streaks received a corner. Coloian sent a perfect ball in, but Ava Wert had a perfectly timed jump to grab in the air.

A minute later, the Falcons got a great corner attempt. In the 81st minute, Akselsen sent a ball in. After a couple touches, Adair put a ball in towards the net, but Kosier read the ball perfectly to reject the shot on goal.

And unfortunately for the Blue Streaks, the glass slipper did not fit anymore. The defensive line would crack in the 83rd minute. In a ball that seems to almost go out of bounds, Tahlia Lloyd put a ball towards the middle of the box. The ball found Hannah Adair, who chipped the ball into the net. This is the first time the Blue Streaks were trailing in the NCAA Tournament.

And as the Falcons took the lead, they played the last seven minutes very passive. Putting little shots on net and taking their time to pass the ball around, the clock would chew out.

With scoreboard reading 1-0 in favor of Messiah, midnight hit and Blue Streaks were officially done with their 2023 season.

Messiah would outshoot John Carroll 37-2 and 14-1 on goal. They also won the corner story by 13-2 in their Elite 8 victory.

For the first time since September 1, 79 days ago, the Blue Streaks would suffer a defeat. The Blue Streaks would finish the season with a record of 16-2-5. This was also the only game the Blue Streaks were shutout this season.

When it comes to this team, it was a very monumental one. Marich's Blue Streaks broke a program record for wins in a season with sixteen wins. Madeline Martin Kosier would also break a school record of 10 shutouts in a season.

In terms of individual awards, Coach Michael Marich received OAC Coach of the Year. Madeline Martin Kosier would get three awards: OAC Freshman of the Year, OAC Goalkeeper of the Year, and All-OAC First Team. Kathryn Shaffer and Madyson Rosado would join Kosier on the first team. Emily Patrsyk would make the All-OAC Second Team with Alli Malinky and Gabriella Walter would make the All-OAC Third Team.

"The team this year has truly grown every game they played," said Michael Marich. "It was a young group with a strong senior core. The teams gave me a lot of fun times and great results. The memories will last forever and I hope the players hold these moments together as a team. It is truly sad to see the seniors go, but I know they will go far and I cannot wait to coach next year."

Despite being outshot in every game in the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Streaks made it to the Elite 8, outscoring opponents 5-1.

As John Carroll's season comes to an end for 2023, Messiah University will face the Washington University of St. Louis Bears. They will play at a neutral site in Salem, Virginia on November 30 at Kerr University.

Print Friendly Version