Canavan collects fifth of the season

WORCESTER, Mass. (September 19, 2015) – Under siege for most of the afternoon, sophomore goalkeeper Meaghan Williams (Salem, N.H.) finished with 15 saves on Saturday, though it would not be enough for the No. 10 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University field hockey team. Williams was also beaten three times, as Assumption posted a 3-1 victory in the Northeast-10 Conference opener for both teams at Multi-Sport Stadium.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 4-2 (0-1 Northeast-10), while Assumption improves to 2-3 (1-0 Northeast-10).

Assumption took a lead it would never relinquish at the nine-minute mark, when sophomore forward Belle Ives banged home a rebound for her first goal of the season. The other first-half goal for the Greyhounds would come on a rebound as well, when junior forward Meghan Sullivan stuffed home her second of the season in the 24th minute.

Franklin Pierce would quickly respond after the Sullivan goal, as sophomore forward Carly Canavan (Kingston, N.Y.) put away her team-leading fifth of the season in the 26th minute, just 93 seconds after the second Assumption goal. Canavan was the first to get her stick to the ball amid a scramble in front of the cage on the play. Just six games into her sophomore campaign, Canavan already ranks eighth in program history in career goals, with 15.

The only scoring in the second half would be an insurance marker for Assumption, which came in the form of Ives' second goal of the game. After a feed from junior midfielder Andrea Koslowski in the 58th minute, Ives put the ball to the back of the cage from five yards out.

Assumption piled up the shot attempts on Saturday afternoon, to the tune of a 23-7 advantage, which included an 18-4 margin in shots on goal.

Williams (3-1) tallied the 15 saves, which was a new career high, in front of the cage for Franklin Pierce, while junior back Shannon O'Leary (Florence, Mass.) added a defensive save along the way. At the other end of the field, Assumption sophomore goalkeeper Bridget Boyle (1-3) finished with two saves, while senior back Allison Juneau added a defensive save.

The Ravens return to the field on Wednesday, Sept. 23, when they return home to host American International in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Game time is set for 6 p.m. at Sodexo Field in Rindge.

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 can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).