Field Hockey Shutout by No. 3 Assumption, 4-0
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
No. 3 Assumption (11-1) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
|
Franklin Pierce (3-9) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
RINDGE, N.H. (October 10, 2021) -- In the midst of its toughest stretch on the schedule, and with a short bench to boot, the Franklin Pierce University field hockey team took on No. 3 nationally ranked Assumption at Sodexo Field on Sunday. Junior Christina Leonard and freshman Mia Salah scored twice apiece for the visiting Greyhounds, as Franklin Pierce suffered a 4-0 loss at home in non-conference play. Freshman Addy Araneo (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) finished with a season-best 15 saves in the loss for the Ravens.
With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 3-9, while Assumption improves to 11-1 and has won 11 straight.
After a scoreless first quarter, Leonard opened the scoring with her fifth of the season in the 24th minute. From the midfield, senior Isabel Primack dished to Leonard, who had a head of steam down the left wing and led a 3-on-1 into the circle. Leonard looked to center the ball for one of her teammates, but it wound up deflecting off of junior Erika Dube (Uxbridge, Mass.) and into the cage to put Assumption on the board.
Leonard's second of the game followed on the other side of halftime, on a highlight-reel play in the 37th minute. In the right side of the circle, senior Shannon Quinlan played an aerial pass over the head of Araneo. Leonard was waiting on the far side at the left post and, with her stick above her head, picked the ball out of the sky and directed it to the back of the goal to double the Assumption lead.
Salah added both of the Greyhounds' fourth-quarter insurance tallies, both of which came off of rebounds. Her team-leading 10th of the season came right out front in the 52nd minute. Just 69 seconds later, in the 54th, she finished off her third multiple-goal game of the season from the middle of the circle.
Araneo (3-5) was strong throughout, though she would ultimately be stuck with the loss. The freshman piled up a season-high 15 saves, including several with a high degree of difficulty, against 19 shots on her cage. At the other end of the field, senior Kylie Gargiulo (11-1) stopped all three shots she faced to notch her fifth shutout of the campaign.
Things will not get much easier for the Ravens, who are at home again on Wednesday, Oct. 13, against No. 8 Saint Anselm. Game time is set for 6 p.m. at Sodexo Field.
