Trainor spoils shutout late

WALTHAM, Mass. (October 15, 2013) – On a crisp fall night where neither team found much offense, No. 10 nationally ranked Bentley was one better in the second half on Tuesday, as the Franklin Pierce University field hockey team dropped a 2-1 decision in Northeast-10 Conference play at Bentley University Turf Field. Freshman midfielder Tori Ellis assisted on both Bentley goals, while sophomore midfielder Erin Trainor (Auburn, Mass.) found the cage for Franklin Pierce.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 1-11 (0-6 Northeast-10), while Bentley improves to 8-5 (2-3 Northeast-10). It was the second straight one-goal loss for the Ravens, who have now lost 11 straight after a season-opening win.

Franklin Pierce controlled the run of play in the first half under the lights on Tuesday night, to the tune of a 7-3 advantage in shot attempts, but could only put two shots on target and could not break the ice. Both teams would stay stingy throughout the proceedings, as each side generated only five shots on goal and five penalty corners for the game. The Ravens had the best scoring chance of the first stanza, as they earned a penalty stroke in the aftermath of a corner play in the 18th minute. Freshman midfielder Shannon O'Leary (Florence, Mass.) took the shot and went for the right side, but Bentley sophomore goalkeeper Katie Kelley was equal to the task and kept the game scoreless.

After the rest of the first half went without a goal, Bentley opened the scoring 12:04 into the second period. On a penalty corner, the Falcons sent the ball to the top of the circle, where the original shot was turned aside by the defense. However, the ball deflected off to the left-wing side, directly to the stick of Ellis. She sent it back into the middle and senior midfielder Lisa Giorgetti finished it off for her first goal of the campaign.

Bentley would strike again off a penalty corner with 13:30 to play to create a two-goal cushion. The score came after some quick ball movement, as senior forward Colleen Moran injected the ball to the top of the circle and the stopper laid it off to Ellis on the right side. Ellis quickly sent it back into the middle to a cutting Moran, who scored her fourth goal of the season on a quick shot which slipped between the goalkeeper's pads.

Franklin Pierce avoided the shutout with a corner goal of its own with 5.5 seconds to play. O'Leary sent the ball to the top of the circle to get things started, and the stopper went left to senior midfielder Alesia Gleason (Harwich, Mass.), who in turn sent it into the middle for Trainor. The latter had a little room to her left to maneuver, went to the reverse-stick shot and put the ball inside the right post for her second goal of the year.

Freshman goalkeeper Amy Zahensky (Bow, N.H.) made four saves against six shots on goal and suffered the loss (1-10) in front of the Franklin Pierce cage. Kelley stopped three of the four on-target shots she faced to pick up the win (8-5) in net for Bentley.

The Ravens return to the field on Thursday, Oct. 17, when they travel to Southern Connecticut State for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Jess Dow Field in New Haven, Conn. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Wednesday, Oct. 23 against Stonehill at 6 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).