National Champions.

A little over a week ago, 12/6/08, Messiah College Men and Women’s Soccer Teams won the Division III Soccer National Championship in Greensboro, NC. Combined with the men’s championship, the Falcons’ women’s title gives the school its second dual-championship in soccer.  Messiah is the only NCAA institution – regardless of level – to accomplish the feat.

This was the sixth national championship in the last nine years for the men’s team as they posted championships in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons.  They have now won more national championships in division III soccer than any other school.  The road to this year’s championship was anything but easy.  Two post-season games were decided in double overtime and the championship game was won on penalty kicks, 3-0.

Messiah women’s soccer team convincingly ran the table through their 2008 regular season going undefeated. They carried that streak through post-season play.  The championship game with Wheaton College was a re-match of the 2007 championship game that Wheaton won when they beat Messiah 1-0.  This year it was a different story.  Messiah provided a 5-0 pounding of Wheaton, the largest margin of victory in the 23-year history of the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer National Championship game.

I had the opportunity to see my alma mater play in the annual Wheaton College Men’s Bob Baptista Soccer Tournament last August.  Little did I know that their season would end in another national championship!