Johansson nets four as top-seeded Ravens dispatch eight-seeded Hawks

Boxscore

RINDGE, N.H. (November 2, 2008) - Top-seeded Franklin Pierce University, ranked 13^th in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, cruised to a 5-0 victory over eighth-seeded Saint Anselm College in quarterfinal round action of the 2008 Northeast-10 Conference women's soccer championships at Sodexo Field this afternoon.

Sophomore All-American Angelika Johansson (Falkenberg, Sweden), who missed all eight postseason matches for Franklin Pierce in 2007 due to injury, made up for lost time as she scored four goals to lead the way. It marks the fifth hat trick of the season for Johansson, who now leads Division II with 28 goals, and her seventh multi-goal outing of the year overall. The four goals this afternoon were just one shy of the program's single game mark which she matched earlier this season with a five-goal outburst in the Ravens season-opening 9-1 win over Holy Family University.

Franklin Pierce (14-3-1, 11-2-1 NE-10) advances to Thursday's semifinal round, where it will host fourth-seeded Southern Connecticut State University (12-4-2, 9-3-2 NE-10). The Owls advanced with a 2-0 victory over fifth-seeded Southern New Hampshire University (8-6-4, 7-4-3 NE-10) this afternoon. Match time on Thursday will be released on Monday. Saint Anselm sees its season come to a close with a 7-10-2 record overall, 6-6-2 in the NE-10. It marks the third-straight year Franklin Pierce has ended the Hawks season - and the second-straight in the quarterfinals. 

Freshman Amanda Panaro (Rockland, Mass./Rockland) also netted a goal for Franklin Pierce, while senior Kristen Cilley (Belchertown, Mass./Belchertown) dished two assists.

Senior goalkeeper Brittany Ester (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) made one save in 81-minutes, 47-seconds, of scoreless action for Franklin Pierce before giving way to freshman Jocelyn Leon (Lenox, Mass./Lenox Memorial) for the final 8:13. Ester extended her postseason shutout streak to 841:47 as the Ravens notched their ninth-straight postseason clean sheet (850 minutes).

Sophomore Jacqueline Cooney (Braintree, Mass./Braintree) made eight saves over the first 75:48, conceding four goals, before senior Micaela Smith (Andover, Mass./Andover) surrendered one goal over the final 14:12. Franklin Pierce posted a 20-6 advantage in shots for the match - 13-1 on target.

The match nearly went to intermission scoreless as Cooney made five saves over the first 44 minutes before Johansson put Franklin Pierce on the board just 42-seconds before the break with a drive inside the six off a corner kick from Cilley. Johansson doubled the Ravens lead 13:21 into the second half when she tapped in a loose ball inside the six off a header from Cilley after a corner kick by junior All-American Gabriela Demoner (Curitiba, Brazil) in the 59^th minute.

Johansson completed the hat trick in the 66^th minute when she knocked in a loose ball off a failed defensive clear inside the six. Panaro collected her second goal of the season in the 73^rd minute when she took a pass from junior Mackenzie Bulych (Regina, Saskatchewan/Dr. Martin LeBoldus), broke past a defender and fired a shot from the right channel just inside the 18 into the left side of the net. Johansson finished off the scoring in the 84^th minute with another unassisted strike.