Canavan hits double digits for second straight season

MANCHESTER, N.H. (October 21, 2015) – While sophomore goalkeeper Meaghan Williams (Salem, N.H.) was busy turning aside all seven shots on her goal on Wednesday night, the Franklin Pierce University field hockey team scored twice in the first half and added a second-half insurance marker at Larkin Field. It all added up to a 3-0 win for the Ravens over Southern New Hampshire on the road in Northeast-10 Conference play.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 9-6 (4-5 Northeast-10), while SNHU falls to 2-14 (0-10 Northeast-10). The ninth win of the season for the Ravens surpasses their total from a year ago, and is now the most for the program since 2011, when it finished 10-9.

Franklin Pierce got the only goal it would need in the 13th minute on Wednesday night. After successfully defending a penalty corner, SNHU was unable to clear its defensive end, and turned the ball over on the right side to senior forward Vanessa LeBlanc (Salisbury, Mass.). Moulton made her way to the middle of the field and the top of the circle, before dishing a pass to the area around the penalty spot for sophomore forward Carly Canavan (Kingston, N.Y.). Canavan turned to create her own shot and beat SNHU senior goalkeeper Cassandra Nickerson inside the left post for her team-leading 10th goal of the season.

For Canavan, it marks her second straight 10-goal season to begin her career. A year ago, she became the first player in school history to reach double digits in a season before her junior season, a feat she has now accomplished twice. Canavan becomes only the second player in program annals with two career 10-goal seasons, joining Tia Levins '12, who scored 12 as a junior in 2010 and followed with 17 as a senior in 2011. Canavan is also the fifth player in program history to score 20 career goals and has now tied Kim Jaksina '12 for fifth on the school's all-time scoring list.

The Ravens doubled the lead to 2-0 with a goal on a 21st-minute penalty corner. The ball came to the top of the circle for senior midfielder Natalia Bachelder (South Berwick, Maine), who dished the ball to the left for junior back Shannon O'Leary (Florence, Mass.). O'Leary wound and fired from there, and it sounded as if the ball was deflected by the defense en route. Ultimately, the shot beat Nickerson and thudded into the back of the cage for O'Leary's third goal of the campaign.

An insurance marker in the 45th minute would stand as the final goal of the game to create the 3-0 final. A long shot from the top of the circle by Canavan was saved by Nickerson, but the rebound was lost amid a scramble near the penalty spot before SNHU could clear it. As the ball moved just right of the center of the field, LeBlanc was able to dig the ball out and put it to the far side of the cage from less than 10 yards out to score her fifth goal of the season.

Williams (8-5) stopped all seven shots on her goal to notch her second shutout of the season, as well as the fourth of her career. At the other end of the field, Nickerson (0-2) made nine saves against 12 shots on goal for SNHU.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, Oct. 24, when they travel to Bentley for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Game time is set for 11 a.m. at Bentley University Turf Field in Waltham, Mass.

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).