RINDGE, N.H. (April 5, 2016) – Sophomore midfielder Briana Sweeney (Shirley, N.Y.) scored four first-half goals on Tuesday afternoon, as part of a game-high five-goal outing, to lead the Franklin Pierce University women's lacrosse team to a 9-5 win over Merrimack in Northeast-10 Conference play at Sodexo Field. Sophomore midfielder Caitlin Sweeney (Shirley, N.Y.) added two goals for the Ravens, while freshman attack Amber Feminella led Merrimack with two goals.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 6-3 (3-3 Northeast-10), while Merrimack falls to 4-6 (1-5 Northeast-10).

The majority of Tuesday's scoring came in the first half on a frigid, but sun-splashed, day in Rindge. The two teams traded four goals over the game's first 15-plus minutes, with each Sweeney sister striking for Franklin Pierce, while freshman attack Emma Bonassar and junior midfielder Clare Blomberg found the net for Merrimack. The Warriors would take their only lead of the afternoon with 12:33 remaining in the opening stanza, as Feminella took a feed from Bonassar to put home her first of the afternoon.

Franklin Pierce then rattled off the final four goals of the first half to take a 6-3 lead into the halftime break. Each of the four goals came from a Sweeney sister, as Briana put home a pair of free-position shots and each had an unassisted tally as well. It was the second of Briana Sweeney's two free-position goals in the run which capped the period's scoring with just 30 seconds to play.

The pace of the game, which had been slow throughout the first half, became downright sluggish in the second period, as each team committed double-digit turnovers and struggled to generate offense in the frame. It took 18 minutes after halftime before either side would find the net, with Franklin Pierce senior attack Nicole Beliveau (Westfield, Mass.) putting home a free-position shot to push the lead to 7-3. Briana Sweeney followed 30 seconds later with another free-position goal to make it 8-3 with 11:30 to play and all but put the game away.

Merrimack struck twice in the game's final five minutes, with Feminella's second of the day followed by a free-position goal from freshman midfielder Bridget Schofield, closing the gap to 8-5. The Warriors would run out of time though, as the Ravens secured possession and bled off time, before senior attack Nicole Dale (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) capped the day's scoring with 59 seconds to play to create the 9-5 final.

Junior goalkeeper Denise Hunt (Hull, Mass.) made six saves against 11 shots on goal to pick up the win (6-3) between the pipes for Franklin Pierce. Over the first 48:30, sophomore Alexa Petzold (3-5) collected 16 saves against 24 shots while taking the loss for Merrimack.

Briana Sweeney fired off 15 shot attempts, including 14 on goal, on the way to her five-goal effort, while Caitlin Sweeney was the only other multiple-goal scorer for the Ravens, with her pair. Senior midfielder Lauren Beville (Jamesville, N.Y.) led all players with five ground balls, while both she and Briana Sweeney caused four turnovers each.

Feminella's two-goal day made her the only two-goal scorer for Merrimack on Tuesday afternoon, as the Ravens managed to put just 11 shots on goal. Schofield led the team with four ground balls and led all players with six draw controls, while Blomberg caused three turnovers.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, April 9, when they travel to Southern New Hampshire for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Larkin Field in Manchester, N.H.

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 women's lacrosse apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).