Baillargeon wraps up career with five-point game

On Saturday afternoon, the Ravens honored their four seniors (left to right): #7 Jordan Baillargeon, #20 Lauren Stille, #9 Jillian Benn and #23 Ashley Moirano (far right). Also pictured is Lauren's younger sister, Mary Kate (#10).

RINDGE, N.H. (April 30, 2011) – Freshman midfielder Kathryn Beall scored the game-winning goal 1:32 into the second overtime on Saturday afternoon to give Assumption a 12-11 victory over the Franklin Pierce University women's lacrosse team in Northeast-10 Conference play at Sodexo Field. Senior attacker Jordan Baillargeon (Westfield, Mass.) scored two goals and added three assists to finish with five points in her final game as a Raven.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce concludes its season at 6-10 (3-9 Northeast-10), while Assumption improves to 7-8 (5-7 Northeast-10). Prior to the game, Franklin Pierce held Senior Day festivities for its four seniors: Baillargeon, midfielder Jillian Benn (North Quincy, Mass.) and attackers Lauren Stille (North Quincy, Mass.) and Ashley Moirano (Vero Beach, Fla.).

The first half featured distinct runs by both teams, as Assumption scored the first three goals of the game, including two from senior defender Sarah Roos, to jump to a 3-0 lead 9:21 into the game. Franklin Pierce answered with a three-goal run of its own, which included a goal and an assist from sophomore midfielder Lindsey Leach (Hamden, Conn.), to pull even at 3-3. Assumption scored three of the final five goals of the half, including a pair from junior attacker Stef Pagonis, to take a 6-5 lead into the intermission. Leach added her second goal of the game before halftime for Franklin Pierce.

The game would continue to be very much back-and-forth through the second half. Baillargeon and Leach each provided a goal and an assist over the first 15 minutes of the frame, while Stille put home her second of the afternoon with 4:53 to play in regulation to give Franklin Pierce a 10-8 lead. However, Assumption sophomore attacker Michelle Santos scored 52 seconds later and sophomore midfielder Steph O'Rourke knotted the game at 10-10 on a free-position shot with 2:55 to play, which would ultimately send the game to overtime.

In the first extra session, Santos capitalized on a free-position opportunity to give Assumption an 11-10 lead with 3:19 to play. Later in the period, the Greyhounds took possession of the ball and attempted to run out the remaining time. However, the Franklin Pierce defense eventually forced a turnover and, after the ball got to the other end of the field, junior midfielder Mary Kate Stille (North Quincy, Mass.) put home a feed from Baillargeon with 31 seconds to play to tie the game at 11-11 and force a second, sudden-victory overtime period.

Franklin Pierce controlled the draw to begin the second overtime and Baillargeon had two chances to end the game in the first minute, though both of her shots slipped just over the top of the cage. Perhaps the best chance for the Ravens came just over a minute into the frame when Lauren Stille was awarded a free-position shot, but Assumption freshman goalkeeper Michelle Monahan was able to drop down and stop the shot. After Assumption took the ball down the field, Beall was awarded a free-position shot and beat Franklin Pierce junior goalkeeper Jillian Bolduc (Atkinson, N.H.) to give the Greyhounds the victory.

Baillargeon and Mary Kate Stille finished with two goals and three assists each for five points, while Leach added five points on four goals and an assist. Playing in their final games as Ravens, Lauren Stille scored twice and Moirano netted a goal, while Benn corralled five ground balls and caused a turnover.

Baillargeon leaves the program as the school's all-time leader in assists (69) and is second in goals (155) and points (224), while Lauren Stille departs holding program records in goals (210) and points (262).

Defensively for the Ravens, junior defender Kim Jaksina (Townsend, Mass.) collected seven ground balls and caused four turnovers, while fellow junior defender Kristen Norton (Sandown, N.H.) picked up four ground balls and caused a pair of turnovers.

For Assumption, Santos led the way with five points on four goals and an assist, while Pagonis put home three goals and Roos and Beall scored twice each. Defensively for the Greyhounds, Beall, Monahan and junior midfielder Elaine Bowman picked up four ground balls each, while Bowman and junior defender Meg Daly each caused a pair of turnovers.

Bolduc made 23 saves but was saddled with the loss (6-10) in front of the Franklin Pierce net, while Monahan stopped 10 shots to pick up the win between the pipes for Assumption.

Assumption posted a 45-35 advantage in shots, while Franklin Pierce held a 27-25 edge in ground balls in the game. Franklin Pierce was successful on 21 of its 25 (84.0%) clear attempts and finished 1-for-6 on free-position shots. Assumption went 13-for-21 (61.9%) on clear attempts and 7-for-18 on free-position shots.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics).