Bolduc makes 11 saves

RINDGE, N.H. (April 24, 2012) – Junior midfielder Courtney Weber (Centerport, N.Y.) scored four goals on Tuesday night, but the Franklin Pierce University women's lacrosse team was defeated, 14-9, by No. 12 nationally ranked Merrimack in Northeast-10 Conference play at Sodexo Field. Senior midfielder Mary Pasquantonio led Merrimack with four goals in the victory.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 5-9 (3-7 Northeast-10), while Merrimack improves to 7-8 (7-5 Northeast-10).

In a fast-paced, end-to-end first half, each team struck for seven goals on the way to a 7-7 tie through 30 minutes, and neither team ever opened up more than a one-goal lead in the stanza. Weber and Pasquantonio each netted three of their four goals in the first half, including a goal by Weber with less than a minute to play in the half that gave the Ravens a 7-6 lead, before Merrimack sophomore midfielder Olivia Huie tied it with 39 seconds left in the period. Senior attacker Brianna Nash (Oceanside, N.Y.) put home three first-half goals for the Ravens, while freshman attacker Madeline Shopshire (Hyannis, Mass.) added a pair of assists.

Junior midfielder Ashley Lamagdeleine (Westfield, Mass.) picked up a goal and an assist in the first half, then struck just 30 seconds into the second half, off Shopshire's third assist, to give Franklin Pierce an 8-7 lead with 29:30 to play. However, it would be the final lead of the day for the Ravens, who would score just once more, as Merrimack roared back with four straight goals over a span of 8:18 to take an 11-8 lead it would never relinquish. Huie added another goal in that 4-0 spurt, while junior midfielder Jen Pino and senior midfielder Colleen Strachan struck twice each in the second half.

For Franklin Pierce, Weber (4-0-4) led the way offensively, while Nash (3-0-3), Lamagdeleine (2-1-3) and Shopshire (0-3-3) all added three points each. Senior midfielder Mary Kate Stille (North Quincy, Mass.) added two assists to round out the Ravens' scoring. Defensively, senior midfielder Christine McKay (Norwood, Mass.) picked up a team-best three ground balls, while senior defender Kim Jaksina (Townsend, Mass.) and McKay tied for the team lead with three caused turnovers each.

After Pasquantonio (4-0-4) for Merrimack, Huie (3-0-3), Pino (2-1-3) and Strachan (2-1-3) all added three points each, while senior attacker Alicia Tinsley added 1-1-2 off the bench to round out Merrimack's multiple-point scorers. On the other side of the ball, senior defender Sarah Salatto led all players with four ground balls and four caused turnovers.

Senior goalkeeper Jillian Bolduc (Atkinson, N.H.) made 11 saves against 25 shots on her goal, but ultimately took the loss (5-8) in front of the net for Franklin Pierce. Junior Sam Kiesel stopped six of the 15 shots on target at her end to pick up the win (5-5).

Merrimack held a 34-22 advantage in shot attempts, a 13-10 edge in ground balls and a 16-9 advantage in draw controls in the game. Franklin Pierce was successful on 14 of its 21 clear attempts (66.7%) and went 0-for-2 on free-position shots. Merrimack went 16-for-18 on clear attempts (88.9%) and 2-for-11 on free-position opportunities (18.2%).

The Ravens return to the field on Thursday, April 26 when they travel to Bentley for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.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).