SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (September 15, 2018) – The shot attempts were more balanced on Saturday evening at Abdow Field, but the rest of the stat line remained lopsided in favor of the Ravens in the first road game of the season for the Franklin Pierce University women's soccer team. The Ravens picked up a goal in the 31^st minute from junior forward Veronica Marques (Sao Paulo, Brazil), added another from senior midfielder Nathalia Maria da Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil) in the 65^th minute and were not tested significantly on the defensive end of the field, as they rolled to a 2-0 win in Northeast-10 Conference play at American International.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 4-0-0 (3-0-0 NE10), while AIC falls to 3-3-0 (1-2-0 NE10). For Franklin Pierce, it marks the team's best start since 2010, when the Ravens won their first four and went unbeaten over their first five games (4-0-1).

Though American International managed 12 shot attempts on the day – by far the most for a Franklin Pierce opponent so far in 2018 – the Yellow Jackets did little to generate actual offensive opportunities. AIC put only one of the 12 attempts on target, while Franklin Pierce peppered the goal at the other end of the field with seven shots on goal. The Ravens also generated an advantage of 8-1 in corner kicks in the contest.

The Ravens opened the scoring in the 31^st minute. A throw-in deep in the offensive end put the ball at the feet of senior forward Bruna Tavares (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) on the left-wing side. Tavares sliced her way into the penalty area and powered around a defender to create a passing lane. Once she had the lane, she slipped a pass into the middle for junior forward Veronica Marques (Sao Paulo, Brazil), who was stationed near the penalty spot and buried the finish for her fifth goal of the season. Marques has scored in each of the team's first four games and has already piled up seven points on the young campaign.

On the other side of halftime, the Ravens pushed the lead to 2-0, which would stand as the final score, in the 65^th minute. Tavares would not earn another assist, but had a significant role on the setup of the play, which developed quickly down the left-wing side. The Franklin Pierce midfield worked the ball to Tavares on the left, and she again used her speed to cause problems for AIC. After pushing the tempo to get the ball ahead, Tavares dished the ball to freshman back Cristina Barbellido (Madrid, Spain), who continued the rush up the left side. As she approached the corner, Barbellido's cross was pinpointed to the foot of sliding senior midfielder Nathalia Maria da Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil), who drilled the ball to the back of the net from the middle of the box for her third goal of the year. The assist marked Barbellido's first career point.

Freshman goalkeeper Casey Kane (Millis, Mass.) saved the only shot on her goal to post the win (4-0-0) and pick up her third shutout of the season. Junior netminder Mikayla Demanche (3-3-0) stopped five of seven shots in a losing effort at the other end of the field for AIC.

The Ravens return to the field on Tuesday, Sept. 18, when they travel to Southern New Hampshire for a rematch of last season's NE10 title game. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Penmen Stadium in Manchester, New Hampshire.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (https://www.fpuraves.com). 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 (https://www.fpuravens.com/store).