Senior nets two goals, assist

Boxscore

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (Octber 4, 2008) – Senior defender Stephanie Howard (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) scored twice and added an assist on Saturday to lead the Franklin Pierce University field hockey team to a 3-1 victory over Merrimack in Northeast-10 Conference play at Warrior Field. Senior defender Kayleigh Jaksina (Townsend, Mass./North Middlesex) tallied a goal and an assist for Franklin Pierce.

All four of the game's goals would come in the first half of play. Merrimack would strike first just 50 seconds into the contest. Senior midfielder Jessica DeLacey (Charlton, Mass./Shepard Hill Regional) sent a penalty corner to senior midfielder Siobhan Minor (Somerset, Mass./Somerset) at the top of the circle. Minor stopped it there for senior forward Maggie Florence (Lowell, Mass./Lowell who found the back of the cage to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead.

From there it was all Franklin Pierce. Just under six minutes later, the Ravens evened the score on a penalty corner of their own when Howard scored her first goal of the season off a feed from sophomore midfielder Jordan Baillargeon (Westfield, Mass./Westfield).

Franklin Pierce would take the lead for good with 12:55 to play in the opening frame off another penalty corner. Jaksina sent the ball to junior forward Ashley Abernethy (Bellingham, Mass./Bellingham) at the top of the circle. Abernethy stopped it there for Howard, who rocketed home her second goal of the contest. Jaksina would make it 3-1 just over five minutes later when she scored a goal of her own by deflecting home a feed from Howard.

Franklin Pierce held a 9-5 advantage in shots in the first half and would post a 12-7 edge over the full 70 minutes.

Freshman goalkeeper Kristin Tormollan (Waterville, Maine/Waterville) made two saves in front of the Franklin Pierce cage to earn the victory. Freshman Emily Achilles (Portsmouth, N.H./Portsmouth) stopped seven shots for Merrimack in defeat.

The Ravens (5-7, 5-6 NE-10) return to the field on Wednesday, Oct. 8, when they return home to host Saint Anselm in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Sodexo Field in Rindge, N.H. Merrimack (4-8, 4-7 NE-10) returns to action on Oct. 6 at home against Assumption.