The No. 2 William Smith College Herons will face No. 1 Messiah in the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer National Championship match today at 2:30 p.m. The Herons are making their fifth appearance in the national championship game in school history.
 
William Smith is making its 30th NCAA tournament appearance and has played in the national championship game in 1987, 1988, 1997, and 2013. The Herons claimed the national title in 1988 and 2013. The Falcons are making their 20th appearance in the NCAA tournament. Messiah has won five national titles.
 
Today's game will be the 13th meeting all-time between William Smith and Messiah. The Herons hold a slight 5-4-3 edge in the series, including a 2-0 win over the Falcons on Sept. 7 in Geneva, N.Y. This will be the fourth time William Smith and Messiah will meet in the tournament.
 
William Smith is 21-1-1 overall and is riding a 17-match win streak. The Herons 21 wins this season are tied for the second most in program history and their 18 shutouts are third most in program history. William Smith entered the weekend ranked third in the nation in goals against (0.27), third in shutout percentage (.773), and fourth in winning percentage (.878).
 
The Herons are led offensively by junior Sheila McQuillen's nine goals and 23 points. Junior Julia Keogh is second on the team with 15 points on six goals and three assists. Junior Amanda Adams and Katrine Berg share the team lead with six assists each.
 
Sophomore Amanda Kesler has played a majority of the minutes in goal this season. She is 21-1-1 with a 0.27 goals against average and a .889 save percentage. Kesler entered the weekend fourth in the nation in goals against average and with a shutout over Pomona-Pitzer on Friday moved into a tie for first in the nation with 15 shutouts.
 
Messiah (21-1-3) advanced to today's championship game, knocking off Carnegie Mellon in penalty kicks 3-1. The Falcons are unbeaten since losing to William Smith two months ago, posting an 18-0-3 mark over that stretch. Messiah entered the weekend ranked in the top 10 in the nation in scoring offense, goals against average, shutout percentage, goals, assists, and points.
 
The Falcons are led by All-American forward Brooke Firestone, who has 19 goals and six assists for 44 points. Ellie Lengacher is right behind her with 11 goals and 16 assists for 38 points. Lydia Ewing has played a majority of the minutes in goal. She is 19-0-3 with a .879 save percentage and a 0.36 GAA.
 
Fans can follow today's action with live video. The match will also be broadcast live by WHWS-FM (105.7 in Geneva).