RINDGE, N.H. (September 29, 2018) – One in the first half and two more in the second half was more than enough on Saturday night, as the No. 19 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University women's soccer team dispatched Assumption, 3-0, in Northeast-10 Conference play at Sodexo Field. Junior forward Veronica Marques (Sao Paulo, Brazil) factored in on all three goals and finished with five points on the night, as she scored twice and provided an assist.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 8-0-0 (7-0-0 NE10), while Assumption falls to 4-5-0 (3-3-0 NE10). Franklin Pierce has matched its best start since 2002, when the Ravens also won their first eight, as part of a 20-game unbeaten streak, which only ended with a loss in the national semifinal.

Franklin Pierce got the only goal it would need on Saturday night in the 23^rd minute, as Marques opened her five-point outing with her seventh goal of the season. Freshman back Cristina Barbellido (Madrid, Spain) took the ball into the penalty area along the left wing and made her way to the end line. She centered from there, and Marques was able to knock the ball home at the left post.

The remainder of the first half went without further scoring, but Franklin Pierce was dominant throughout. The Ravens posted a 9-3 advantage in shot attempts in the first half, on the way to a 17-8 edge for the game. Franklin Pierce also rang up advantages of 12-5 in shots on goal and 9-2 in corner kicks in the contest.

Marques completed her double in the 71^st minute, as she briefly took the team's goal-scoring lead with her eighth of the campaign. Senior midfielder Nathalia Maria da Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil) had the original shot on the play, from about 16 yards out on the right side of the box. Her shot was saved by Assumption junior goalkeeper Alexis Nason, but Marques was on the scene to immediately clean up the rebound and make it a 2-0 lead. For Marques, it was her second multiple-goal game of the season.

Marques would add an assist on the game's final goal, as da Silva would not let her hold sole control of the team's goal-scoring lead for long. In the 81^st minute, Marques took the ball towards the end line on the left side of the penalty area and centered for da Silva at the top of the six-yard box. The latter shot from there, and Nason got a piece of the ball, but it was not enough to keep it out of the net, as da Silva picked up her eighth goal of the year as well.

Freshman goalkeeper Casey Kane (Millis, Mass.) returned from injury after missing two games and finished with five saves to pick up the win (5-0-0), as well as her fourth shutout of the season. Nason (3-5-0) made nine saves against 12 shots on goal at the other end of the field and suffered the loss for Assumption.

The Ravens return to the field on Tuesday, Oct. 2, when they travel to Bentley for an NE10 contest. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. in Waltham, Mass.

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