RINDGE, N.H. (9/6/25) – The Franklin Pierce Field Hockey team was defeated by the #6-ranked Bloomsburg Huskies 4-0 on Saturday in the team's home opener at Sodexo Field.
The loss drops the Ravens to a 0-1 overall record but does not hurt them in the Northeast-10 standings. The shutout loss was a difficult start for the Ravens, but it was a solid effort by a team with a lot of new faces.
The Ravens faced adversity early in the game, as they found themselves down 2-0 to the Huskies in the first ten minutes of the game. Bloomsburg's Genna Bush and Sophie Lawler put the Huskies on the scoreboard early and led the offensive attack against the Ravens defense.
Those two goals put the Ravens on their heels, but they stood firm for the remainder of the first half. Raven backs and midfielders Nina Depew (Acton, Mass.) and Megan Raymond (Oxford, Mass.) were among many who continued to poke the ball away and force the Huskies into fouls.
Bloomsburg committed 37 fouls on the afternoon, giving the Ravens valuable possessions and relieving the pressure on their end of the field.
However, they struggled to break past midfield as the Huskies continued to intercept passes and steal the ball away from the Ravens. The Ravens did not record their first shot until the third quarter when senior captain Lily Zavras (Worcester, Mass.) weaved her way into the circle to put a shot on net.
After that chance, the Ravens collected multiple corners, giving themselves opportunities to score. They ended the game with nine corner chances but could not convert them into goals.
Midfielders Reese Swanson (Somerset, Mass.) and Sydalia Savage (Skowhegan, Maine) both made two shots off corners but could not break through Bloomsburg's Goalkeeper Maura Greek.
On the other side, Junior goalkeeper Zoë Noorlag (Amersfoort, Netherlands) was solid in net for the Ravens. She made four saves, one of which was a sprawling kick save to her right to keep a corner shot out of the net.
However, the Huskies' offense continued to pressure the Ravens' defense and would add two more goals in the second half. Alyxandra Flick scored her second goal of the season in the third quarter, then Genna Bush scored her second of the game to make it 4-0 in the fourth quarter.
In the end, the Huskies outshot the Ravens 15-7. The late offensive surge from the Ravens was not enough to get them on the board, resulting in a 4-0 shutout.
Despite the scoreline, the game offered promising stretches for the Ravens. For a good portion of the game, their defense held the #5-ranked Huskies in check and kept themselves within the game.
Now they prepare for their first game against an NE10 opponent as they face the Saint Michael's Purple Knights at Sodexo Field. That game will start on Wednesday, September 10, at 5:00 p.m.
