Giardina's second-half double and
Demoner's five points lead Ravens in season-high offensive
outburst
EASTON, Mass. (September
20, 2006) - Franklin Pierce, receiving votes in this
week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America
(NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, scored two first half goals and
broke the match open in the second half for a 5-1 victory at
Stonehill College, ranked fifth in the New England region, in
Northeast-10 Conference women's soccer action at Skyhawk Field this
afternoon.
Juniors Jenna Giardina
(Pittsfield, Mass./Taconic) and Gabriela Demoner
(Curitibas, Brazil) paced Franklin Pierce to its best
offensive output of the season. Giardina scored two second half
goals, while Demoner totaled five points with a goal and three
assists for the Ravens. Junior Taryn Welker (Wayne,
Pa./Conestoga) and freshman Rachel Smith
(Carlisle, Pa./Bible Baptist School) each chipped in with
a goal and assist each.
Franklin Pierce opened the scoring
with a pair of goals five minutes apart just past the half-hour
mark. Welker knocked in a pass from Demoner at 31:48, before Smith
scored off a feed from freshman Mackenzie Bulych (Regina,
Saskatchewan/Dr. Martin LeBoldus) at 36:27.
The Ravens were fortunate to
survive the opening five minutes of the second half with the lead
as Stonehill came out firing. The Skyhawks needed just 23-second to
cut the Ravens lead in half when sophomore Janine Connors
(Holliston, Mass./Holliston) converted passes from junior
Ashley Bourne (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) and
freshman Kelly Regan (Mansfield,
Mass./Mansfield).
Stonehill nearly equalized on more
than one occasion before Giardina put Franklin Pierce back up by
two when she headed in a free kick by Demoner at 54:12 for just the
second goal of her three-year career. Giardina finished off her
second-half double just over eight minutes later when she headed in
a cross from Smith at 62:52.
Franklin Pierce rounded out the
scoring when Demoner knocked in a volley from just inside the 18
off a pass from Welker at 65:40. The Ravens finished with a 14-11
advantage in shots for the match.
Junior Jenna Mello
(Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) preserved the win for
Franklin Pierce with a season-high seven saves. Junior Alex
Eckhardt (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) finished with five
stops for Stonehill.
Franklin Pierce (5-2, 4-2 NE-10)
returns to action on Saturday when it visits Pace University,
ranked tenth in the New England region, at 2 p.m. The Ravens are
back home on Tuesday, September 26, when it hosts No. 19 Merrimack
College at 7 p.m. Stonehill (3-2-2, 2-2-2 NE-10) hosts Southern
Connecticut State University on Saturday at 1 p.m.
MATCH
STATISTICS & PLAY-BY-PLAY
