PREVIEW: No. 11 Women’s Soccer Opens Pursuit of Eighth NE10 Title with Quarterfinal Contest vs. AIC
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
American International (9-9-1) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
Franklin Pierce (13-1-2) | 4 | 1 | 5 |
RINDGE, N.H. (October 29, 2018) – A year after falling in the title game, the No. 11 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University women's soccer team returns to the Northeast-10 Conference Championship on Tuesday night, this time as the top seed. The Ravens will open their 16th all-time appearance in the NE10 Championship, and pursuit of their Conference-record eighth NE10 title, when they host eighth-seeded American International in the quarterfinal round. Opening kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Sodexo Field.
Franklin Pierce (12-1-2, 11-1-2 NE10) has continued its recent resurgence in 2018, and will look to continue building upon the program's lengthy legacy within the league. The Ravens are fourth all-time in NE10 history in Championship appearances, with their 16th trip trailing only Merrimack (31 appearances), Saint Anselm (21st appearance) and Saint Rose (19th appearance). Franklin Pierce has advanced to the title game on 11 occasions, which ranks second all-time behind only Merrimack, which has 14 trips to the final. The Ravens have the highest NE10 Championship winning percentage among active schools at .795 (31-8-0), and their seven NE10 titles -- which came consecutively from 2000 through 2006 -- are tied with Saint Rose for the most in league annals.
Meanwhile, American International (9-8-1, 7-6-1 NE10) returns to the NE10 Championship after a one-year hiatus and for the 14th time overall. The Yellow Jackets hold a 5-11-2 (.333 winning percentage) in 18 all-time NE10 Championship games, including one runner-up finish and five semifinal appearances. The team's only appearance in the title game came in 1998, when they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Bentley. In AIC's most recent league tournament appearance, in 2016, the Yellow Jackets played to a 1-1 tie at home against Le Moyne, before the visiting Dolphins advanced on penalty kicks.
Scouting the Ravens
Franklin Pierce opened the season with an eight-game winning streak, which marked the program's hottest start since 2002. The run included a wild, 4-3 win on the road over defending NE10 champion Southern New Hampshire on Oct. 18. The Ravens suffered their only setback thus far on Oct. 2, when they were defeated in overtime, 2-1, at Bentley on a raw, damp afternoon. Franklin Pierce heads into the NE10 Championship riding a 4-1-2 October record and a six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2).
Franklin Pierce was ranked first in the East Region a week ago, which should put the team comfortably into the field for the NCAA Championship, which will begin next week. Eight teams will qualify for the East Regional, with each of the region's three conferences – the NE10, the East Coast Conference and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference – guaranteed an automatic bid for their tournament champion. The three champions will be joined by five at-large selections. The field will be split into two groups of four teams, with the region's top two seeds each hosting the first and second rounds of the tournament. Updated East Region rankings will be released on Wednesday.
On the field, the Ravens have excelled at goal prevention, with a defense which leads the NE10 in goals-against average (0.77), as they have surrendered just 12 goals in 15 games. The back line has helped usher the crimson and grey to seven shutouts on the season. Franklin Pierce also sits at the top of the league in offense, averaging 2.47 goals per game. Senior midfielder Nathalia Maria da Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and junior forward Veronica Marques (Sao Paulo, Brazil) lead the way with 10 goals apiece, while the latter has added seven assists as well, and sits third in the NE10 with 27 points. Senior forward Bruna Tavares (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) has added 15 points on five goals and five assists.
Freshman goalkeeper Casey Kane (Millis, Mass.) has played the lion's share of the minutes in net for the Ravens. She leads the NE10 in goals-against average (0.60) and has posted a .795 save percentage on the campaign.
Scouting the Yellow Jackets
On the other side of the ledger, American International comes into Tuesday's matchup on a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) after suffering through a three-game losing streak earlier in October. AIC's signature win this fall was a 1-0 upset of then-No. 3 nationally ranked Mercy on the road on Sept. 2. The Yellow Jackets have posted a 5-4-0 record in nine road games so far in 2018.
With a record just over .500, the Yellow Jackets are well on the outside, looking in, of the NCAA Championship picture, as AIC did not crack the top 10 of the most recent East Region rankings. It is likely the only path for AIC to secure an NCAA bid would be to win the NE10 title this week.
AIC is in the middle of the pack when it comes to goal-scoring, as the team sits ninth in the NE10 in goals per game (1.44). The attack is led by freshman midfielder Anniina Sankoh, who has tallied 20 points on eight goals and four assists. Senior midfielder Federica Frew follows with 18 points, on six goals and six assists, and is the only other Yellow Jacket to reach double digits in points. AIC has struggled at preventing goals, as the Yellow Jackets are 12th in the NE10 in goals-against average (1.45).
Junior netminder Mikayla Demanche has logged the vast majority of the minutes in front of the AIC goal. She comes into Tuesday night's game with a 1.57 goals-against average and a .714 save percentage.
Earlier this Season
The two teams met for their regular-season contest on Sept. 15 at Abdow Field in Springfield, Massachusetts, with the Ravens rolling to a 2-0 victory in what was their first road game of the season. Franklin Pierce posted advantages of 7-1 in shots on goal and 8-1 in corner kicks on the way to the win, which came courtesy of goals in the 31st minute by Marques and the 65th minute by da Silva. Kane stopped the only shot on her goal to post the shutout.
Previously in the Postseason
Tuesday night will mark the first-ever NE10 Championship meeting between the Ravens and the Yellow Jackets, who have met only once previously in the postseason at any level.
The two teams crossed paths in the New England Regional of the 1998 NCAA Championship. Franklin Pierce posted a 4-0 victory in the game on the way to the regional title and a trip to the national semifinal.
Headed to the Game?
If you plan on making the trip to Rindge on Tuesday night, directions to Franklin Pierce and maps of the Rindge campus can be found here: http://www.franklinpierce.edu/directions.htm
Ticket prices are set as follows:
Adults - $6
Children/Seniors - $4
Students (with valid ID from NE10 institutions) - $1
The first 100 Franklin Pierce students (with valid ID) will be admitted free of charge, courtesy of the Department of Athletics
Per Conference policy, no additional 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 via the below links:
Live stats || Video
Up Next
The winner of Tuesday's quarterfinal will advance to meet the winner of another Tuesday quarterfinal, featuring fourth-seeded Saint Rose and fifth-seeded Saint Anselm, who will meet at 4 p.m., at Plumeri Sports Complex in Albany, N.Y. The top seed hosts the semifinal contest, so Franklin Pierce would host either opponent if the Ravens advance, while the Yellow Jackets would remain on the road for the semifinals if they advance. The semifinal round of the NE10 Championship is slated for Friday, Nov. 2, with game times to be determined.
Tuesday's other quarterfinals feature second-seeded Southern New Hampshire hosting seventh-seeded Southern Connecticut State at 4 p.m. at Penmen Stadium in Manchester, N.H., and six seed Assumption paying a visit to three seed Stonehill for a 7 p.m. kickoff at W.B. Mason Stadium in Easton, 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).
