The fifth-ranked William Smith College soccer team will travel to Greensboro, N.C., to take on second-ranked Messiah in the NCAA Division III Tournament this weekend. The Herons and Falcons will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Fri., Dec. 5, following the first semifinal match between No.1 Williams (19-0-1) and No. 22 Wheaton (Ill.) (21-3-2). The winners will square off in the championship match on Sat., Dec. 6 at 5 p.m.

The Herons carry a 16-1-5 overall record into their sixth NCAA semifinal appearance. William Smith defeated Keuka 2-0 in round one, and got past Endicott in round two, prevailing in a penalty kick shootout 4-3 after playing to a 1-1 draw. The Herons went onto defeat seventh-ranked Johns Hopkins 3-1 in the third round, and ninth-ranked Amherst 1-0 in double overtime in the quarterfinal match. William Smith's all-time NCAA Tournament record currently stands at 25-14-10.

Liberty League Player of the Year, sophomore forward Brelynn Nasypany (Herkimer/Herkimer, N.Y.) has headlined the Heron offense this fall, netting a team-high 15 goals, including eight game-winners, and five assists. First-year forward Kate Redmond (Bernard/Bernardsville, N.J.) is next on the list with five goals and three helpers. Redmond was the hero vs. the Lord Jeffs, tallying the game-winner in the second overtime period.

William Smith's defense, led by senior Ali Art (Herricks/Manhasset Hill, N.Y.) and first-year goalkeeper Amanda Davis (Roxbury/Succasunna, N.J.), has allowed just 10 goals and posted 14 shutouts on the season. Davis boasts the best goals against average in the nation (0.28), and ranks third in the country with a .921 save percentage. She owns a 10-0-5 record in net with nine shutouts.

Messiah enters the weekend with a 22-0-2 overall record. The Falcons received a first round bye, before knocking off Washington and Jefferson 6-0, Chicago 4-1, and Eastern 2-0 in the second, third, and quarterfinal rounds, respectively. Messiah is making its sixth trip to the NCAA Championship round in the past seven years.

The Falcons are led by Amanda Naeher's 32 goals and six assists, and Erin Hench's 19 tallies and 15 helpers. As a team, Messiah has netted 111 goals while only allowing nine. Goalie Brindley Beckwith has posted a 0.40 goals against average and a .800 save percentage with eight shutouts to anchor the defense.

Ticket prices are $15 for general admission, $10 for senior citizens/students/military personnel with valid ID, and $5 for children ages 3-12. Children 2 and under are free. For additional information, including all game times and live streaming video links, visit the Tournament Web site.