Makila, Hughes claim program's first Academic All-America selections since 1998 

RINDGE, N.H. (December 1, 2004) - Two members of the Franklin Pierce women's soccer team were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division Women's Soccer Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).           

Senior back Martta Makila (Vantaa, Finland) and junior midfielder Sonya Hughes (Balbriggan, Ireland) both earned the first Academic All-America honors of their career with spots on the third team. The pair are the program's first Academic All-Americans since Pauliina Miettinen and Pauliina Auveri each claimed their second-straight honors in 1998. Makila and Hughes are the fifth and sixth honorees in program history.            

Makila, the first three-time Academic All-District honoree in program history after earning first team honors for the second-straight season, has earned a 3.77 cumulative grade point average in mass communication at the College. A four-year starter in the Ravens defensive unit, Makila appeared in 90 of a possible 91 matches over her career and helped lead a defense that yielded just 0.75 goals per match with 42 shutouts. She also totaled 14 goals and eight assists for 36 career points.

This season, the three-time All-Northeast-10 Conference and two-time All-New England pick registered three goals and two assists for eight points in 22 matches. Makila and the Ravens defensive unit yielded a Conference-low 0.63 goals per match with 11 shutouts. In addition, she was a member of the inaugural Northeast-10 All-Academic squad this fall and a two-time All-NCAA Tournament team selection over her career.            

Hughes, who earns Academic All-America honors after being an Academic All-District pick for the first time in her career last month, has registered a 3.52 cumulative GPA in psychology at the College. Hughes is a two-time All-Northeast-10 Conference honoree, who also earned a spot on the Conference's inaugural All-Academic squad this fall. The 2003 All-New England selection ranks 21^st on the program's all-time scoring list with 69 career points on 19 goals and 31 assists (11^th) in 47 career matches at the College. She has also earned 26 caps for the Republic of Ireland women's national team, helping it to a first place finish in its group in recent European Championship qualifying.

This fall, Hughes is third on the team with 34 points (5^th NE-10), while her 12 assists (2^nd) are second on the team, to go with 11 goals (7^th) in 22 matches.

Franklin Pierce finished its season with a 20-1-1 overall record to go with a 13-1 mark in the Northeast-10 to capture its fourth-straight regular season title before claiming a fifth-straight NE-10 Tournament title earlier this month. The Ravens made a record 13^th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and advanced to the quarterfinal round where it was upset by No. 8 Adelphi University in a penalty shootout (6-5) after the two sides played to a 2-2 double-overtime draw. Franklin Pierce also claimed a record ninth NCAA New England Regional title.