RINDGE, N.H. (September 11, 2016) – In a game which was evenly matched throughout and only picked up intensity as the afternoon wore on, the Franklin Pierce University field hockey team traded blows with Saint Anselm throughout the first half on Sunday afternoon. The scoring dried up in the second half, with Saint Anselm sophomore forward Maddie Bressler striking for the only goal of the stanza, to send the Hawks away with a 3-2 win in non-conference play at Sodexo Field.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 2-2, while Saint Anselm improves to 3-1. The two teams will meet again later in the season, for their Northeast-10 Conference contest, on Oct. 25 at Saint Anselm.

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring in a raucous first half with a goal in the seventh minute. Senior midfielder Kenady Kelly (Plymouth, N.H.) worked the ball into the top of the circle from the right side and dished it off to junior forward Carly Canavan (Kingston, N.Y.). The latter took a long shot through traffic which cleanly beat Saint Anselm senior goalkeeper Katherine Sears to make it a 1-0 Franklin Pierce lead.

Saint Anselm set off a flurry of scoring in the 26th minute, as the Hawks tied the game at 1-1. Bressler had the initial, long shot on the play, from the top of the circle. The shot was partially blocked by the defense, but wound up getting deflected beyond the reach of junior goalkeeper Meaghan Williams (Salem, N.H.). Freshman forward Michelle Lemelin was behind the keeper and cleaned up the loose ball by brushing it into the empty cage for her second goal of the season.

Just 5:02 later, in the 31st minute, Franklin Pierce reclaimed the lead at 2-1 by cashing in on a penalty corner. Junior back Erin Smith (Templeton, Mass.) had the initial shot on the play, as she took a drive from slightly to the right-wing side of the top of the circle. Junior forward Danielle Harris (Templeton, Mass.) got her stick to the ball en route, but her redirection was saved by Sears. However, the rebound came straight back to Harris, who slotted the ball low and inside the right post to record her first collegiate goal.

The Ravens could not get to the intermission with the lead however, as Saint Anselm equalized with under a minute to play in the half, in the 35th minute. Junior forward Emma Kincaid wound up and drove a long ball towards the goal from just outside the circle on the right-wing side. Freshman forward Hannah Friend was stationed between Kincaid and the net and was able to redirect the drive inside the right post for her second goal of the season.

The scoring would quiet in the second half, though not the opportunities, as the teams combined for 18 shot attempts over the final 35 minutes. Saint Anselm held a 10-8 edge in the period in shot attempts, while Franklin Pierce posted a 5-3 edge in penalty corners and each team put five shots on goal. For the full game, Franklin Pierce would ultimately hold advantages of 17-16 in shot attempts, 11-8 in shots on goal and 9-6 in penalty corners.

The lone goal of the second half was Bressler's game-winner, which came in the 55th minute. The Franklin Pierce midfield committed a foul while attempting to clear, which turned the ball over. Off the quick restart, the defense failed to locate Bressler, who was left relatively unmarked on the right-wing side of the circle. She would eventually corral a loose ball and salt away her second goal of the season to complete a three-point afternoon (1-1-3).

Williams (2-2) finished with four saves against eight shots on goal, while sophomore midfielder Sarah Bjorn (Holden, Mass.) added a defensive save for the Ravens. At the other end of the field, Sears (3-1) made eight saves against 11 shots on goal, with senior back Jennifer Brown chipping in a defensive save.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, Sept. 17, when they remain home to host Assumption in their Northeast-10 opener. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Sodexo Field.

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).