Welker's 55th-minute equalizer
avoids first season-opening loss since 1989
RINDGE, N.H. (August 31,
2005) - For the first time in 16-years Franklin Pierce,
ranked No. 5 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of American
(NSCAA)/adidas Division II preseason coaches poll, failed to win a
season-opening match as it was forced to salvage a 1-1
double-overtime draw with the College of Saint Rose in Northeast-10
Conference women's soccer action at Sodexho Field tonight.
Saint Rose snapped Franklin
Pierce's 15-match winning streak in season-opening matches dating
back to a 1-0 loss at Springfield College on September 11, 1989.
The Golden Knights also ended the Ravens 13-match streak in home
openers dating back to a 3-2 loss to North Adams State on September
14, 1991.
Saint Rose, which out-shot Franklin
Pierce 16-13 on the night, jumped ahead just 3:25 into the match
when sophomore Lindsay Bove (Holliston,
Mass./Holliston) headed in a free kick from senior
Courtney Goess (Chester,
N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) on the first shot of the match
by either side. The goal was the first scored on the Ravens in a
season-opener since Lock Haven University netted three unanswered
goals after Franklin Pierce had built a 6-0 first half lead on
September 2, 2001.
Franklin Pierce equalized 9:53 into
the second half when Saint Rose sophomore goalkeeper
Lauren Steinberg (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John
Jay) failed to hold onto a shot from freshman
Ann Foley (Rockland, Mass./Rockland),
which allowed sophomore Taryn Welker (Wayne,
Pa./Conestoga) to bang in the rebound at the far post
after a scramble. The goal was just the second of her brief
collegiate career, while Foley was credited with the assist in her
collegiate debut.
The Ravens just missed taking a
lead in the 71st minute, but Alex Scavo's
(Toronto, Ontario/Brother Andre) header off a corner
kick caromed off the top of the crossbar.
Saint Rose had two good chances to
regain the lead in the final 20-minutes. Freshman Sami
Brown (Richland, Wash./Hanford) had a bid smothered
by Franklin Pierce sophomore goalkeeper Jenna Mello
(Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) just before she could
get a good boot on the ball after an excellent through ball to set
up the break.
Senior Christie Cremo
(Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) fired a shot from
the right channel just outside the box that caught Mello off her
line, but was headed out of the goal by Ravens junior
Colleen Callahan (Marshfield,
Mass./Marshfield) at 73:43.
The Ravens were out-shot 3-1 in the
first overtime period, but that one shot nearly ended the match.
Senior All-Americans Sonya Hughes (Balbriggan,
Ireland) and Laura Hislop (Belfast,
Northern Ireland) combined on a chance. Hislop's
rocket, off a Hughes free-kick from the left side, from 22-yards
had Steinberg beat, but caromed off the crossbar.
Mello finished with four saves for
the Ravens, while Steinberg stopped three shots for the Golden
Knights.
Franklin Pierce (0-0-1, 0-0-1
NE-10) is back in action with a pair of non-conference matches on
the road, beginning Saturday against Philadelphia University at 1
p.m. Saint Rose (2-0-1, 0-0-1 NE-10) travels to Pace University on
Monday for a match at 2 p.m.
MATCH
STATISTICS
