BENTLEY, Mass. (March 28, 2018) – A 6-1 run in the latter stages of the first half allowed the Franklin Pierce University women's lacrosse team to take the lead and build some separation heading into halftime on Wednesday afternoon at No. 24 nationally ranked Bentley. The Ravens continued to put the pedal down early in the second half, building a lead as high as seven goals on the way to a key, bounce-back, 13-10 win in Northeast-10 Conference play.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 3-4 (1-4 NE10), while Bentley falls to 4-2 (3-1 NE10).

Senior midfielder Briana Sweeney (Shirley, N.Y.) opened the scoring with a free-position goal just 30 seconds into the proceedings, while freshman midfielder Julia Glavin answered for Bentley just 91 seconds later. Franklin Pierce came up with three of the next four goals, including one from each of the Sweeney sisters, but Bentley kept pace and tied things at 4-4 on a goal from freshman midfielder Jillian Lynch with 16:19 to play in the first half.

The Ravens took control, netting six of the final seven goals in the stanza. Sweeney scored the first two goals of the run and added an assist as well, while senior attack Anna Wilbert (Bohemia, N.Y.) added a goal and two assists. Senior midfielder Caitlin Sweeney (Shirley, N.Y.) provided a key free-position goal in a man-down situation, and senior attack Julia Miller (Westfield, Mass.) scored twice, including the half's final goal. Miller's second score made it a 10-5 Franklin Pierce lead with 4:27 to play in the period, a lead the Ravens would hold into halftime.

A man-down goal for Bentley, courtesy of freshman midfielder Cara McCarthy, made it a four-goal game 3:37 into the second half. The Ravens kept the accelerator down though, and popped the next three goals, beginning with a man-up free-position goal from Caitlin Sweeney. The trio of markers extended the larger Franklin Pierce run to 9-2, and left the Ravens with a 13-6 goal with 18:12 to play, after Miller finished off her third goal of the game.

Bentley put together a late run and scored the game's final four goals, including a pair from senior defender Paige O'Neill, but ultimately ran out of time as Franklin Pierce came away with the 13-10 victory.

Only five Ravens contributed points offensively on Wednesday, but each of the five tallied at least three points. Briana Sweeney led the way with 4-1-5, while Caitlin Sweeney (3-0-3), Miller (3-0-3), Wilbert (1-2-3) and freshman midfielder Zoe Totland (Salt Lake City, Utah) added three points apiece. Both Sweeneys, along with Totland, tallied four ground balls apiece, while Caitlin Sweeney nabbed a team-best five draw controls.

In contrast, Bentley had seven players find the score sheet, with no player tallying more than three points. Both O'Neill (2-1-3) and junior defender MaryKate Staines (2-1-3) finished with three points, while Glavin and Lynch also scored a pair of goals each. O'Neill and senior midfielder Kathleen Gillespie each finished with four ground balls, and Gillespie added a game-best nine draw controls. O'Neill caused four turnovers on the afternoon, to lead all players.

Senior goalkeeper Madison Murray (Berkley, Mich.) finished with 17 saves against 27 shots on goal to pick up the win (1-2) in the crease for Franklin Pierce. Sophomore netminder Eliza Bresler (4-2) made 10 saves against 23 shots at the other end of the field in a losing effort for Bentley.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, March 31, when they return home to host Southern Connecticut State in an NE10 contest. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Sodexo Field in Rindge.

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