PREVIEW: Women’s Soccer Faces SNHU in Intrastate Battle for NE10 Title
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Franklin Pierce (12-4-2) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
Southern New Hampshire (14-2-5) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
RINDGE, N.H. (November 4, 2017) – For the first time since 2010, and for the 11th time in program history, the Franklin Pierce University women's soccer team will play for the Northeast-10 Conference title. The Ravens won seven straight NE10 crowns from 2000 through 2006, and appeared in 10 of the 11 title games from 2000 through 2010, but have not been back since. On Sunday afternoon, Franklin Pierce returns to the league final, as the fourth seed, and travels to take on second seed and intrastate foe Southern New Hampshire. The Penmen make their second-ever appearance in the championship game, after winning the title in 2012. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Larkin Field in Manchester, N.H.
Though it is believed both teams have locked up berths in next week's NCAA Championship East Regional, the winner on Sunday will officially lay claim to the NE10's automatic NCAA bid.
Northeast-10 Women's Soccer Championship
(Seeds in parentheses)
Tuesday, October 31 -- Quarterfinals
Game 1: (8) Merrimack def. (1) Adelphi, 2-1
Game 2: (2) Southern New Hampshire def. (7) Bentley, 2-0
Game 3: (6) Assumption def. (3) Saint Rose, 3-0
Game 4: (4) Franklin Pierce def. (5) Pace, 1-0
Friday, November 3 -- Semifinals
Game 5: Franklin Pierce def. Merrimack, 2-1
Game 6: Southern New Hampshire ties Assumption, 1-1 (SNHU advances on penalty kicks, 5-4)
Sunday, November 5 -- Final
Game 7: Franklin Pierce at Southern New Hampshire -- 1 p.m.
Scouting the Ravens
Franklin Pierce (12-3-2) advanced to the final with a 2-1 win over eighth-seeded Merrimack at home, on Sodexo Field, on Friday afternoon (game story). Sophomore midfielder Veronica Marques (Sao Paulo, Brazil) put a slick move on a defender in the box to score in the 53rd minute, and junior midfielder Nathalia Maria da Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil) followed with a penalty-kick insurance marker in the 80th minute.
The Ravens have excelled at goal prevention on the year, with a defense which ranks third in the NE10 in goals-against average (0.74), as they have surrendered just 13 goals in 17 games. The back line has helped usher the crimson and grey to eight shutouts, including six 1-0 victories, on the season. Franklin Pierce also sits in the top third in the league in offense, averaging 1.59 goals per game. It is da Silva who leads the charge, with seven goals on the year, while Marques has contributed 14 points as well, courtesy of six goals and two assists.
Senior goalkeeper Casey Cook (Beverly, Mass.) has played every minute of the season in net for the Ravens. She ranks third in the NE10 in goals-against average (0.74) and has posted an .800 save percentage on the campaign.
Scouting the Penmen
On the other side of the field, Southern New Hampshire (13-2-5) needed extra time and then some to advance on Friday, as the Penmen played to a 1-1 draw at home against sixth-seeded Assumption (game story). Senior forward Trisha Luis struck for the equalizer with just 8:29 to play in regulation, and then the Penmen converted on all five of their attempts in the shootout to advance, 5-4, on penalty kicks.
The Penmen are unbeaten in their last eight games (4-0-4), dating to Oct. 11. SNHU has not been beaten since a 2-0 loss at Adelphi on Oct. 7 (game story). Southern New Hampshire is especially formidable at home, as the blue and gold have gone undefeated (8-0-2) at Larkin Field.
SNHU features the NE10's premier defense, and has surrendered just 11 goals in 20 games on the season. The 0.52 team goals-against average leads the league by a significant margin. The Penmen are no slouches on offense either, as they put home 1.70 goals per game, a figure which ranks third in the 15-team NE10. Luis, an All-NE10 First Team pick, leads SNHU and ranks third in the NE10 with 10 goals on the season. She has tallied 23 points (10-3-23) this fall, while senior forward Abigail Maker (4-7-15) and senior midfielder Courtney Benson (5-4-14) have each reached double digits in points as well.
Like Cook for the Ravens, senior goalkeeper Paige Salmon has logged every second in front of the SNHU net so far this season. Her 0.52 goals-against average leads the NE10, as does her 11 shutouts, while her .849 save percentage ranks fourth.
Earlier this Season
The two teams met for their regular-season contest on Sept. 19 at Sodexo Field, with the then No. 19 nationally ranked Penmen dealing the Ravens one of their most painful losses of the season, 2-1 (game story). Junior back Marta Turmo (Barcelona, Spain) headed home a free kick in the 23rd minute, and the Ravens held the lead into halftime. SNHU junior midfielder Ariana Silvia struck just 70 seconds into the second half, and sophomore midfielder Emily Roan later found the winner with just 12:52 to play in regulation.
Previously in the Postseason
The Ravens and Penmen have met just twice previously in the postseason, once each in the NE10 Championship and the NCAA Championship. Franklin Pierce has won both meetings.
The two previous postseason contests both game in the 2003 postseason. First, on Nov. 5, the top-seeded Ravens had to go on the road to fifth-seeded SNHU, due to unplayable field conditions in Rindge, for the NE10 semifinal. Franklin Pierce got a trio of goals from Laura Hislop to take home a 3-1 victory (game story).
A week-and-a-half later, back in Rindge, the two sides met on Nov. 15, in the semifinal of the NCAA New England Regional. SNHU jumped out front on a first-half goal from Erica Flynn to give the Ravens a scare, but the crimson and grey found goals from Meghan Welcome in the 55th minute and Hislop in the 68th, to escape with a 2-1 win and advance to the regional final (game story).
Headed to the Game?
If you plan on making the trip to Manchester on Sunday afternoon, directions to SNHU's Manchester campus can be found here: https://www.snhu.edu/student-experience/regional-center-experience/manchester-nh
Ticket prices are set as follows:
Adults - $6
Children/Seniors - $4
Students (with valid ID from NE10 institutions) - $1
Per Conference policy, no complimentary admissions will be issued.
How to Follow Along
If you prefer to follow the action from home, from work or from elsewhere, both live video and live stats will be available:
Live stats // Video
Up Next
The winner of Sunday afternoon's game will claim the NE10 title and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship, though both teams are expected to qualify for next week's six-team NCAA East Region field.
The NCAA Championship selection show is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, and can be viewed at ncaa.com.
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).