Ravens advance to Division II record seventh National Championship match, seek record sixth title on Saturday

Boxscore

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (November 29, 2007) - Franklin Pierce University, ranked 16^th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II coaches' poll, ended No. 2-ranked Seattle Pacific University's quest for a perfect season and first National Championship with a 2-0 victory at the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championships, hosted by the University of West Florida and the City of Orange Beach, in front of 368 tonight.

Franklin Pierce (18-1-5) advances to Saturday's National Championship match to face 14^th-ranked University of Tampa (19-2-2) at the Orange Beach Sportsplex at 1 p.m. (EST). The Spartans upset top-ranked Grand Valley State University (21-1-1) in today's first semifinal. Saturday's championship match will be televised live on College Sports Television (CSTV). Seattle Pacific (23-1-0) was making its second Final Four appearance in just the seventh year of the program's existence.

Franklin Pierce, appearing in its record 14^th Final Four, will play for the National Championship for a Division II record seventh time and will be seeking a record sixth national title on Saturday. The Ravens captured National Championships a record four-straight years from 1994-97 before notching its fifth title in 1999. They last appeared in the title contest in 2003, falling to Kennesaw State University, 2-0, in Virginia Beach, Va. Tampa, appearing in the Final Four for the second-straight year, is playing in its first National Championship match.

"It's been a while since we've won one," said Franklin Pierce Head Coach Jeff Bailey, who will be seeking his fourth National Championship as head coach of the Ravens. "Maybe it's our year this time. It's good to be back in it. Tampa was an underdog today like ourselves and it should be a good match up on Saturday."

Franklin Pierce posted its seventh-straight postseason shutout and has yet to allow a goal in 650 postseason minutes, including 450 in its five NCAA Tournament wins. Junior goalkeeper Brittany Ester (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) matched her season-high with eight saves (four in each half) to collect her 12^th shutout of the season - moving her into a tie for third on the Ravens single-season list. Ester has not allowed a goal in her last 678:11 dating back to the 62^nd minute of Franklin Pierce's 5-2 victory over Southern Connecticut State University in its regular season finale.

"They were a very stingy defense," said Seattle Pacific Head Coach Chuck Sekyra. "I never felt like we got behind them and alone with their keeper. They did a great job of keeping our players in front of them. I definitely see Franklin Pierce winning it if they play like that again."

Sophomore goalkeeper Jesslyn Rahm (Eugene, Ore./South Eugene) made three saves in goal for Seattle Pacific, who out shot Franklin Pierce, 18-7 for the match - including 8-6 on target.

"We rode our luck a little bit in the first ten minutes of each half," said Bailey. "We defended great and Brittany had a fantastic game."

Ester was tested early, lunging to stop a shot by SPU junior Shannon Oakes (Boise, Idaho/Boise) less than two minutes into the match. SPU dominated the first ten minutes, before Franklin Pierce gathered itself and began to gain possession leading up to its opening goal.

"We wanted to put the pressure on them," said Sekyra. "That first shot nearly goes in and you wonder what kind of game it could have been."

Franklin Pierce has not trailed since netting the equalizing goal in the 53^rd minute of a 1-1 double-overtime draw at the University of Massachusetts Lowell 1,087-minutes, 58-seconds ago. The Ravens forged in front again as senior right back Taryn Welker (Wayne, Pa./Conestoga) took a pass from classmate Jenna Giardina (Pittsfield, Mass./Taconic) and charged to goal inside the penalty area before beating Rahm to her right at the 21:44-mark. The goal was Welker's first of the season (sixth career) and first since she netted a goal in a 5-1 win at Stonehill College on September 20, 2006. The assist was the team-leading 13^th of the season for Giardina.

"I was looking to take it down the line and cross it," said Welker. "But no one was open and I saw an opening and decided to go for it."

Seattle Pacific nearly came right back and answered on Ester's lone mistake of the match, when she missed on an attempted clear of a cross, but the ball trickled just wide of the far post. Ester made a great save to her right on a drive just 23-yards out by senior Sarah Martinez (Bothell, Wash./Cedar Park Christian) in the 33^rd minute.

"We play well when we get in front and are pretty capable of soaking up pressure," said Bailey. "We've found what kind of works for us now."

Franklin Pierce added an important insurance goal 13:55 into the second half when sophomore Mackenzie Bulych (Regina, Saskatchewan/Dr. Martin LeBoldus) took a cross from freshman back Kelly Weygand (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) and fired her sixth goal of the year past Rahm. The assist was Weygand's sixth of the season and team leading fourth of the NCAA Tournament.

"Mackenzie had a very good game," said Bailey. "It's very difficult to play up front on your own. She's done a lot lately and is a key to our team at this point."

The goal came moments after Oakes had a shot off a loose ball sail just over the bar in the 54^th minute. Martinez, the Falcons' leading scorer this year with 17 goals and nine assists for 43 points, nearly brought SPU back into the match in the 61^st minute, but saw her shot drift just over the bar.

"(Franklin Pierce) were a solid defense," said Martinez. "We created a lot of scoring chances, but they would always get a foot in there and stop it."

Ester's top save of the match came in the 66^th minute when she tipped a drive from junior Meredith Teague (Redmond, Wash./Bellevue Christian) ticketed for the top shelf over the bar for a corner kick. Sophomore Jocelyn Charette (Lakewood, Wash./Curtis) had a shot in the 73^rd minute carom off the left post.

"I thought we played well," said Sekyra. "We out shoot a team 18-7 and hit the post four or five times and I think created some awful good chances. I definitely want to give Franklin Pierce a tremendous amount of credit. They defended the heck out of the game."

The win kept Franklin Pierce unbeaten in eight matches this season against nationally ranked opponents (6-0-2). The Ravens have outscored its ranked opposition 16-1 in those matches, posting a miniscule (0.12 goals against average). The win also improved Franklin Pierce's all-time record against Far West region opponents to 7-3-0 in program history in its first ever meeting with Seattle Pacific.