Letarte nets team-leading third goal of season

RINDGE, N.H. (September 19, 2013) – The Franklin Pierce University field hockey team scored four goals in a span of 13:29 as part of a furious second-half comeback attempt on Thursday afternoon, but it was not enough to counter a five-goal first half for Saint Michael's, which picked up a 6-4 win in non-conference play at Sodexo Field. Sophomore midfielder Erin Trainor (Auburn, Mass.) and freshman forward Rachel Deneault (Holden, Mass.) each scored their first career goals in the game for Franklin Pierce.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 1-4 (0-0 Northeast-10), while Saint Michael's improves to 2-3 (0-1 Northeast-10). The two teams will meet for their Northeast-10 Conference contest on Oct. 9 in Burlington, Vt.

It was a tale of two halves at Sodexo Field on Thursday, as the Ravens dug themselves a 5-0 hole in the first half before outscoring Saint Michael's 4-1 in the second to create the 6-4 final. Shot attempts told the story as well, as Saint Michael's held a 13-3 advantage in the first half, but Franklin Pierce recorded a 15-3 advantage in the second half. Shots on goal were more of the same, with the Purple Knights creating a 9-2 edge in the first half before the Ravens racked up a 9-1 edge in the second. Penalty corners stayed relatively even all day, with Saint Michael's ultimately enjoying a 10-9 edge.

With Franklin Pierce facing a 5-0 deficit coming out of halftime, senior midfielder Alesia Gleason (Harwich, Mass.) finally broke the ice for the Ravens 13:21 into the second stanza as the offense generated a scoring chance off of a penalty corner. The injection by freshman midfielder Shannon O'Leary (Florence, Mass.) came to senior back Jess Rogers (Uxbridge, Mass.) just to the right-wing side of the top of the circle. Rogers held the ball briefly, and then dished it off to the left side of the circle to Gleason, who flicked a shot through traffic, into the air, and into the left side of the cage for her second goal of the season.

The goal sparked an immediate surge from the Ravens, who struck again only 24 seconds later. After the Saint Michael's midfield lost possession of the ball shortly after the restart following the Gleason goal, the ball came to senior forward Chanelle Letarte (Lunenburg, Mass.) with a head of steam and space to work with just inside the 23-meter line. As she came to the top of the circle, she spun around a challenging defender, went to her backhand and slipped a shot inside the left post for her third goal of the season.

The Purple Knights settled things back down after the pair of quick scores, and then reclaimed the four-goal lead at 6-2 with 13:39 to play. After Saint Michael's earned a corner, sophomore midfielder Morgan Mazanec injected the ball to junior forward Cassaundra Davis at the top of the circle. Davis stepped inside the circle, wound and fired a shot which found its way all the way to the backboard for her team-leading fifth goal of the season.

Franklin Pierce struck 1:41 and 5:29 after the Davis goal to create the 6-4 final. First, amidst a scramble for a loose ball in the middle of the circle, junior forward Tori Gamache (Goffstown, N.H.) was the first to find the ball and pushed it to Deneault. The latter had a shooting lane and put the ball away for her first collegiate score. Just 3:48 later, after Saint Michael's put the ball out of bounds over its own end line, the Ravens put the ball back in play along the sideline. It wound up with Trainor, just inside the circle and only a few feet from the end line on the left-wing side of the cage. From the shallow angle, she sent the ball in the direction of the goal, likely looking for a redirect from one of the forwards in the area, but the ball found its way into the cage untouched for her first collegiate goal as well. From there, however, the Ravens could muster no further offense as the comeback attempt fell short and Saint Michael's escaped with the two-goal victory.

Earlier in the day, Saint Michael's built a lead which proved insurmountable, as it put home five first-half goals. Sophomore forward Megan Deschaine started things just 5:41 into the proceedings, in the aftermath of a broken play inside the circle. Davis found the loose ball and slipped it to Deschaine for the latter's first goal of the season. Only 1:25 later, in a scramble out front after a penalty corner, junior midfielder Hannah Beardsley found the ball and the back of the cage for her first goal of the season as well.

Later, in the 21st minute, junior forward Samantha Burns became the third straight Purple Knight to score her first goal of the season in the first half. A breakdown by the defense inside the 23-meter line led to a partial breakaway into the right side of the circle for Burns, who put the shot inside the right post. Less than three minutes later, a penalty corner set up senior forward Kelly Celata for a drive from the top of the circle. Deschaine tipped the ball en route to redirect it and score her second goal of the game.

Finally, Celata got a goal of her own, her first of the campaign, with 9:49 to play in the first half. The play was similar to the Burns goal, in that Celata wound up with the ball in space on the right side of the circle, though this one was not a breakaway. While on the run, Celata took a shot which found the back of the cage inside the right post. The fifth goal spelled the end of the day for freshman goalkeeper Amy Zahensky (Bow, N.H.), as she was lifted in favor of sophomore Colette Donnelly (Woodbury, Conn.), who made her Franklin Pierce debut after transferring in from Drew University.

Zahensky made four saves against the nine shots on goal she faced over the game's first 25:11, and suffered the loss (1-4) in net for Franklin Pierce. Donnelly faced only one shot on goal the rest of the way, as she was beaten by Davis' second-half blast on a corner play. Junior Jackie Chisholm made seven saves against 11 shots on goal in front of the Saint Michael's cage to pick up the win (1-2).

The Ravens return to the field on Wednesday, Sept. 25, when they travel to Stonehill for a non-conference contest. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at W.B. Mason Stadium in Easton, Mass. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Friday, Sept. 27 against LIU Post at 7 p.m.

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). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce field hockey apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).