Ravens score three in
three-minutes after 70-minute mark to break deadlock
RINDGE, N.H. (November 11,
2005) - Top-seeded Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 4 in this
week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America
(NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, broke open a 1-1 tie with three
goals in a three-minute span late in posting a 4-1 victory over
fourth-seeded and No. 25-ranked Merrimack College in semifinal
round action of the 2005 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer New
England Regional at Sodexho Field tonight.
Franklin Pierce (17-1-2) advances
to Sunday's regional final to host second-seeded and No. 15-ranked
Assumption College (15-3-4) at 1 p.m. The meeting will be the sixth
in the last two seasons and will mark a rematch of the 2004 NCAA
Regional final, which the Ravens won 5-2, and last Sunday's NE-10
Championship, a 1-0 Franklin Pierce victory. Franklin Pierce is
4-1-0 against the Greyhounds over the last two seasons. Assumption
advanced with a 1-0 victory over third-seeded UMass Lowell (12-7-1)
in tonight's opening match. Merrimack sees its season, capped by a
fifth-straight NCAA Tournament berth, come to a close at
14-6-1.
Senior All-Americans
Sonya Hughes (Balbriggan, Ireland) and
Laura Hislop (Belfast, Northern Ireland)
led Franklin Pierce tonight. Hughes netted two goals, while Hislop
finished with a goal and two assists.
With the match knotted at a goal
apiece after the two sides traded goals early in the match,
Franklin Pierce erupted for three goals in a span of 3:16 after the
70-minute mark. Junior Alex Scavo (Toronto,
Ontario) started the barrage when she knocked in a
rolling ball at the far post off an attempted chip on the left side
by Hislop that was heading wide of the goal. Freshman back
Kristen Cilley (Belchertown,
Mass./Belchertown) was also credited with an assist
as her long pass from the back over the top of the Merrimack
defense sent Hislop in on a break.
"In a 1-1 game I wanted to make
sure it was going in," said Scavo of her touch on Hislop's chip
that appeared like it may have been going in on its own. "I thought
it was going to hit the post, but everyone else on the field said
it was heading wide."
Hughes scored her second just 1:13
later when she took a pass from junior Kristen Lake
(Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) and finished a drive
from the right channel from 23-yards to the lower left corner at
72:10. Hislop finished off the trifecta with a shot from the top
center of the 18 into the upper right corner at 74:13.
"We played well and kept it close,
but then in three or four minutes and then boom, boom, boom," said
Merrimack Head Coach Gabe Mejail. "We
played our best to keep it close, but with their talent took over
and we couldn't stop them."
Hughes opened the scoring 7:53 into
the match when she took a square ball from Hislop on the left side
and drove a shot from 20-yards into the top shelf.
Merrimack answered off a set piece
at 12:28 when senior Mckenzie Hogan (Glastonbury,
Conn./Glastonbury) headed in a free kick from junior
Heather Carr (Wakefield, R.I./South
Kingstown) at the far post. The Warriors scored on
their lone shot in a first half that Franklin Pierce finished with
a 10-1 advantage. Sophomore Shannon Rowan (Fair Haven,
N.J./Rumson-Fair Haven) made five saves to keep
Merrimack in the match, before giving way to junior
Caitlin Stephan (Northboro,
Mass./Algonquin) for the second half. Stephen made
one stop, while yielding the three second-half goals.
Sophomore Jenna Mello
(Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) made one save as
Franklin Pierce finished with an 18-3 advantage in shots for the
night.
"I thought the second goal broke
their back a little bit," said Franklin Pierce Head Coach
Jeff Bailey. "I was happy to get the
third goal, but I thought we should have had two or three more in
the first half. When you don't put those away, sometimes before you
know it you're in (penalty kicks)."
MATCH
STATISTICS
