Five different Ravens score as program wins 14th-straight season opener

COLCHESTER, Vt. (September 4, 2003) -Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 4 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II Preseason poll, opened its 2003 season with a 5-0 victory over Saint Michael's College, ranked eighth in the New England Region, in Northeast-10 Conference women's soccer action at Doc Jacobs Field this afternoon.

Today's win marks the 14^th consecutive season the Ravens have gotten their season off on a winning note, with 11 of those victories coming by way of a shutout. Five different players scored for the Ravens, who had five new players in the starting lineup.

Junior All-American Meghan Welcome (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill), the reigning Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year, started where she left off last season as the team's top scorer when she opened the scoring with an unassisted tally in the 25^th minute. Welcome lofted a shot from the right side that found a hole in the upper left-hand corner of the net.

Sophomore Laura Hislop (Belfast, Northern Ireland) gave Franklin Pierce a two-goal cushion just 15-seconds before the intermission with her first goal in a Ravens uniform after transferring from Virginia Intermont College.

Franklin Pierce took complete control of the match in the second half, out-shooting Saint Michael's by a 13-1 margin in the stanza. Freshman Alex Scavo (Markham, Ontario/Brother Andre) netted her first collegiate goal, assisted by Alana Sullivan (Dorchester, Mass./Mitchell College) at the 50:30-mark.

Junior Laura King (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) converted a penalty kick in the 63^rd minute to increase the Ravens lead to 4-0 before sophomore Elizabeth Brunton (Birch Harbor, Maine/Sumner) closed out the scoring with 2:23 remaining in regulation. Senior Stephanie Hartenstein (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford) and sophomore Sonya Hughes (Balbriggan, Ireland) assisted on the play which was set up when Hartenstein's initial shot caromed off the cross bar.

Senior goalkeeper Aase Kibsgaard (Korgen, Norway) registered two saves to preserve her ninth career shutout for Franklin Pierce. SMC senior Abigail Lemanski (Lenox, Mass./Lenox) stopped seven shots in net.

Franklin Pierce controlled possession all afternoon as evidenced by a remarkable 16 corner kicks taken for the match as well as a 25-4 shots advantage for the day.

Franklin Pierce (1-0, 1-0 NE-10) returns to action on Saturday when it visits the University of Massachusetts Lowell (1-1, 0-1 NE-10) at noon. Saint Michael's (2-1, 0-1 NE-10) visits Southern New Hampshire University on Saturday night at 7 p.m.

#4 Franklin Pierce 5, Saint Michael's 0 

Scoring Summary: FP: Meghan Welcome (unassisted), 24:56; FP: Laura Hislop (unassisted), 44:45; FP: Alex Scavo (Alana Sullivan), 50:30; FP: Laura King (penalty kick), 62:21; FP: Elizabeth Brunton (Stephanie Hartenstein, Sonya Hughes), 86:37.

Goalkeepers: FP: Aase Kibsgaard (90:00), two saves; SMC: Abigail Lemanski (90:00), seven saves.

Shots: FP: 25, SMC: 4. 2000