RINDGE, N.H. (October 15, 2016) – A four-goal second half spelled defeat for the Franklin Pierce University women's soccer team on Saturday afternoon at Sodexo Field, as the Ravens dropped a 5-1 decision to No. 12 nationally ranked Adelphi. Senior midfielder Morgan Santoro and junior forward Jeanine Nunez scored twice each for Adelphi, while junior forward Taylor Sipos added a goal and two assists. Freshman forward Sophie Cousineau (Milton, Mass.) scored in the first half for Franklin Pierce.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 5-5-2 (3-5-2 Northeast-10), while Adelphi improves to 11-1-1 (8-1-1 Northeast-10) and extends its unbeaten streak to six games. The Panthers were dominant throughout the contest, amassing advantages of 19-5 in shot attempts, 7-2 in shots on goal and 2-1 in corner kicks. The five goals against were the most allowed by the Ravens on their home field in over four years, dating to a 5-1 loss to then-No. 3 Saint Rose on Sept. 22, 2012.

The game started with a bang, as the first six minutes on Saturday afternoon featured a penalty kick and two goals. Adelphi earned a penalty kick in just the third minute, after Franklin Pierce was whistled for a trip in the penalty area. Santoro took the shot and put it low to the left side, but Franklin Pierce junior goalkeeper Casey Cook (Beverly, Mass.) guessed correctly. Cook dove to her right, got her fingers to the shot and deflected the ball such that it careened off the left post. Cook then scampered to cover the ball up before the offense could track down the rebound.

The two teams then traded goals in the sixth minute. First, Nunez struck for her eighth goal of the season to open the scoring for Adelphi. She volleyed home a shot from the top of the six-yard box in front of the right post, finishing off a service from the left side by Sipos.

Franklin Pierce would answer just 35 seconds later, on Cousineau's fifth of the season. Sophomore forward Nathalia Maria da Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil) sent a cross towards the goal from the left wing and Cousineau got her head to the ball at the top of the six-yard box, putting it inside the left post to even the score.

The match remained tied at 1-1 through halftime, until a barrage of second-half tallies saw Adelphi put the game out of reach. The Panthers struck three times in the first 15 minutes of the second period to open up a 4-1 lead in a hurry. First, in the 51st minute, Adelphi caught the Franklin Pierce defense on its heels on a free kick from 20 yards out. The Panthers played the kick short to senior midfielder Victoria Antonino on the right side, and she had space to step into an uncontested shot from 15 yards out. The shot beat Cook high, but rang off the crossbar, staying in play. Sipos was on the scene to finish off her fourth goal of the campaign.

In the 55th minute, it was Nunez again, this time for her ninth of the year. She had an easy finish from in front of the right post, after a cross from the left by senior forward Laura Gomez skipped past Cook at the top of the six-yard box. In the 59th minute, Santoro notched her league-leading 16th goal of the season by ripping a shot from just inside the box on the left side, which cleanly beat freshman goalkeeper Ashley Spellman (Lancaster, Mass.). Sophomore midfielder Michelle Wienecke had the assist on the play with a feed up the left side from the midfield.

The Panthers capped the scoring later, with a final insurance tally in the 74th minute to create the 5-1 final. Santoro used her body to push home her second of the day from in front of the left post, off of a service by Sipos from the right side.

Cook (5-5-2) logged the first 57:57 in net for Franklin Pierce and finished with two saves against five shots on goal while taking the loss. Spellman took over for the remaining 32:03 and did not make a save against two shots on goal. At the other end of the field, sophomore goalkeeper Anne Marie Ulliac (11-1-1) finished with one save against two shots on goal to pick up the win for Adelphi.

The Ravens return to the field on Tuesday, Oct. 18, when they travel to American International for a Northeast-10 contest. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Motamed Field in Springfield, 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). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce soccer apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).