Talita Pereira leads Ravens with three shots

Talita Pereira had three shots, including putting on net versus Stonehill.

EASTON, Mass. (October 18, 2011) -- The Franklin Pierce University women's soccer team gave up an early goal and couldn't recover in dropping a tough 1-0 decision at Stonehill in Easton, Mass. on Tuesday. The Ravens fell to 6-7-1 on the season and 4-7-1 in the Northeast-10, while the Skyhawks improved to 9-4-2 and 7-3-2 in league play.

Stonehill got the only goal it needed in the 24th minute when Sarah Hickey collected a loose ball from in front of the Franklin Pierce net and struck home a shot into the back of the goal past Ravens goalkeeper Jocelyn Leon (Lenox, Mass.). It was Hickey's first of the season and proved to be the match-winner. Hickey led the Skyhawks with three shots in the contest.

Franklin Pierce outshot Stonehill, 9-8, including getting three shots from sophomore Talita Pereira (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and two shots apiece from senior Aya Noguchi (Tokyo, Japan) and sophomore Joanna Gibson (London, England). However, the Ravens could not get a shot past Stonehill keeper Amy Wheaton, who made four saves to earn the shutout victory and run her record to 6-3-2 on the season.

Leon, who on Monday was named the NE-10 Goalkeeper of the Week, made one save despite suffering the loss to fall to 6-7-1 on the season.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Saturday when the Ravens travel to Albany, N.Y. to face Saint Rose at 2 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce women's soccer, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceAthletics).