Welcome earns Tournament MVP with stellar defensive performance

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (November 4, 2001) - Top-seeded Franklin Pierce College, ranked No. 1 in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division II poll, claimed its second-straight Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Championship with a 2-0 victory over second-seeded and No. 13 Merrimack College at Jess Dow Field on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University this afternoon.

The victory was the 20th of the season for Franklin Pierce, marking the fourth time in the last five seasons it has reached that plateau and the sixth time in school history. The Ravens won their first NE-10 Tournament Title last season with a 3-2 win over Southern Connecticut here in New Haven.

Freshman back Meghan Welcome (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill) earned the Tournament's Most Valuable Player award as she backboned a Ravens defense that posted three-straight shutouts in the NE-10 Tournament.

Grad student Kim Higgins (Rochester, N.H./Spaulding) had an outstanding effort in goal for Franklin Pierce this afternoon as she recorded four saves, three from close range, to post her third-straight shutout and seventh of the season overall (16th career).

Franklin Pierce got on the board through the first half when junior Patricia Keeldar (Amsterdam, Holland/Ter Leede) beat two defenders then unleashed a 20-yard blast that found the upper-righthand corner of the Merrimack goal.

Merrimack had an excellent bid to knot the score in the 30th minute of play, but an open shot by Rachel McCarthy just cleared the crossbar. The Warriors also had a scramble in front of an open Franklin Pierce net midway through the second half, but could not pull the trigger on a shot.

The Ravens put the match away in the 87th minute as junior April Mann (Brisbane, Australia/Saint Thomas More) tucked in a rebound off a shot by classmate Angela Verdoes (Katwijk Aan Zee, Holland/Ter Leede) from close range was saved but not gathered in by Merrimack's senior goalkeeper Alison Skoglund.

Franklin Pierce (20-0) will now host the NCAA Division II New England Regional Championship on Saturday, November 10, on Crystal Field at 1 p.m. Merrimack (18-3) will host an NCAA First Round match on Wednesday with the winner advancing to face the Ravens. Their opponent will be announced on Monday as well as the official dates, times and location of the other NCAA Tournament pairings.

Scoring Summary:
FP: Patricia Keeldar (unassisted), 25:35; FP: April Mann (unassisted), 86:43.

Goalkeepers:
MC: Alison Skoglund (90:00), four saves; FP: Kim Higgins (90:00), four saves.

Shots:
MC: 9, FP: 13.