RINDGE, N.H. (October 19, 2016) – The Franklin Pierce University field hockey team was held to just one shot on goal on Wednesday afternoon at Sodexo Field, as the team's offense continued to struggle to generate sustained pressure. Meanwhile, the team's defense continued to look strong, holding the opposition off the board through regulation for the second straight outing. Ultimately, however, Southern New Hampshire sophomore forward Maddie Holt would come up with the game-winning goal just 1:56 into overtime to come away with a 1-0 victory in Northeast-10 Conference play.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 3-11 (0-9 Northeast-10) and has lost four in a row, while SNHU improves to 9-7 (5-6 Northeast-10). The Ravens are now 0-4 in overtime games on the year and have lost all four by 1-0 margins.

SNHU controlled the run of play for large swaths of the afternoon, as the Penmen amassed advantages of 12-3 in shot attempts, 7-1 in shots on goal and 10-3 in penalty corners.

While the Penmen enjoyed the majority of possession, they struggled to generate quality chances as well, with each team seriously threatening only once in regulation, with both instances coming in the first half. First, the Penmen appeared to score off a penalty corner in the final 15 minutes of the stanza. Off the corner play, the ball wound up with freshman forward Laura van der Doorn, who drove her shot towards the goal from the right side of the circle. Freshman back Alison Hildreth was at the right post and deflected the ball beyond the goalkeeper and into the cage, but the officials ruled she had played the ball with her body, and not her stick, and the goal was taken off the board.

Later, in the 35th minute, Franklin Pierce recorded its only shot on goal of the afternoon, in the waning seconds of the first frame. With less than 20 seconds to play, a cross from the right-wing side wound up on the stick of sophomore forward Dayna Kowesky (Leominster, Mass.). Kowesky was all alone in front of SNHU sophomore goalkeeper Melanie Rennie, but put her shot into Rennie's pads, as the game remained scoreless heading into halftime.

SNHU would record the only two shots on goal of the second half, with neither posing a serious threat to the Franklin Pierce goal, as the game continued on to overtime without a goal.

The Penmen would then need just 116 seconds of extra time to find the game-winning goal. Possessing the ball down the left-wing side, van der Doorn worked her way into the circle along the end line and sent a cross towards the goal mouth. Junior goalkeeper Meaghan Williams (Salem, N.H.) stepped off her line to play the cross, but could not get enough on the kick out, which left the ball in the middle of the circle. Holt was on the scene for SNHU and quickly brushed the rebound into the empty net for her third goal of the season, sending the Penmen away with a 1-0 victory.

Williams (3-11) finished with six saves against seven shots on goal in net for Franklin Pierce. Rennie (8-4) stopped the only shot on goal she faced to pick up the win for SNHU, as well as her fourth shutout of the season.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, Oct. 22, when they remain home to host Bentley in a Northeast-10 contest. 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).