When the Emory University Eagles looked at their 2012 schedule before the season, the team knew that one of its toughest challenges would come right at the onset of the year, a season-opening game against top-ranked and reigning NCAA Division III Champions Messiah College on their home field.

The Eagles battled tough in the game, taking a 1-0 lead in the 29^th minute on a Karina Rodriguez goal, before Trisha Tshudy tied it up just three minutes later.  After a scoreless second half, it would be a penalty inside the box drawn by Emory's Emily Feldman that would set up a game-winning penalty kick for Clare Mullins.  It would prove to be Messiah's first loss in a 26-game span, and its only loss of the season to date.

Now, exactly three months later, the 2012 NCAA Division III Women's soccer season will conclude with the same match-up the Eagles began the season with.  Following the 16^th-ranked Eagles' 2-1 win over 11^th-ranked Wheaton College (Ill.) and top-ranked Messiah's victory over #10 Misericordia College, Emory will look to hand the Falcons their second loss of the season, and give the Eagles their first Women's Soccer National Championship.

Emory comes into the National Championship game with a 15-1-7 record, after the victory over Wheaton on Friday.  The Eagles received a pair of second half goals in the game from Feldman (her eighth of the season) and junior all-American Lauren Gorodetsky, who scored her first of the year on a perfectly-placed free kick from 30-yards out.  After limiting Wheaton to just one goal, the Eagles have now allowed just 11 on the season, for a team goals-against average of 0.44.  Meanwhile, Emory's offense has now scored 54 goals of its own this year, the fourth-most in the program's history.

Meanwhile, Messiah will enter the National Championship game with an overall record of 22-1-1, after a dominating 3-0 victory over Misericordia in the semifinals.  The Falcons began the weekend with the 12^th-ranked offense in Division III, averaging 3.58 goals per game this season, and the top-ranked defense, with a .245 goals-against average.

The National Championship game will be played at 6:30 PM ET on Saturday, December 1^st at the Blossom Soccer Complex in San Antonio, Texas.  Fans can follow the action with live streaming video and live stats, using the links below.

Video: http://www.ncaa.com/championship/liveplayer/player?gameId=267943&date=2012/12/01
Live Stats: http://www.ncaa.com/game/soccer-women/d3/2012/12/01/messiah-emory

Emory Notes
Emory is now 14-11-5 all-time in NCAA Tournament games, including an 8-2-2 mark over the last three seasons… The Eagles are 4-0-5 against nationally-ranked opponents this year, and 10-2-10 over the last three years… Emory has four wins all-time against top-ranked NCAA Division III teams, including the win over Messiah earlier this year… Feldman's goal against Wheaton was her fourth of the NCAA Tournament, the most ever by an Eagle in a single tournament… She also equaled Kelly Costopoulos' school record with her fourth career NCAA Tournament goal… It was also her second career NCAA Tournament game-winning goal, matching former Eagle Meghan McMahon's record… Senior Lee Bachouros moved into second place in school history with her 80^th career game on Friday, and will tie former Eagle Melanie Levy's record of 81 games played if she appears in the National Championship game.