PREVIEW: No. 7 Women’s Soccer Hosts LIU Post in Second Round of NCAA Championship East Regional
RINDGE, N.H. (November 10, 2018) – After picking up the program's first NCAA Championship victory since 2009 on Friday against Caldwell, the No. 7 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University women's soccer team returns to the field for second-round play on Sunday. The East Region's top seed, the Ravens will host fifth-seeded LIU Post at 2 p.m. at Sodexo Field.
The winner of Sunday afternoon's contest will advance to play in the third round, which would be the East Region title game, on Friday. The third round and national quarterfinal would be hosted by a to-be-determined Atlantic Region site.
NCAA Championship East Regional
(Seeds in parentheses)
Friday, November 9 – First Round
Game 1: (5) LIU Post ties (4) Southern New Hampshire, 0-0 (2 OT) (LIU Post advances on PKs, 4-3)
Game 2: (1) Franklin Pierce def. (8) Caldwell, 4-0
Sunday, November 11 – Second Round
Game 3: Franklin Pierce vs. LIU Post – 2 p.m.
The other half of the East Regional is being hosted by the University of Bridgeport. The second round game at the other site will see second-seeded Bridgeport host sixth-seeded Saint Rose.
Scouting the Ravens
Franklin Pierce (16-1-2) has won five straight and is unbeaten in its last 10 (8-0-2) after taking care of business in the first round of the East Regional on Friday afternoon. The Ravens were dominant throughout in a 4-0 win over eighth-seeded Caldwell. Franklin Pierce scored twice in each half and got goals from four different players on the afternoon. Senior midfielder Nathalia Maria da Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil) provided the game-winning goal in the ninth minute and would later add an assist as well. Franklin Pierce is in the midst of its 21st all-time NCAA Championship appearance.
The Ravens have excelled on both sides of the ball, including a high-octane offense which ranks 14th in the country in goals scored per game (2.89). The NE10 Player of the Year, junior forward Veronica Marques (Sao Paulo, Brazil), leads the charge, as she sits 26th in the nation in points per game (2.11), 30th in assists per game (0.53) and 35th in goals per game (0.79). In 19 games on the season, she has tallied 40 points on 15 goals and 10 assists. There are five Ravens who have reached double digits in points this season, and Marques is followed by her country-mate da Silva, who has 32 points, on 14 goals and four assists. Meanwhile, the Franklin Pierce defense is ranked second in the NE10, with a goals-against average of 0.92.
Freshman goalkeeper Casey Kane (Millis, Mass.) has played the lion's share of the minutes in net for the Ravens. She is second in the NE10 in goals-against average (0.82) and has posted a .754 save percentage on the campaign.
Scouting the Pioneers
LIU Post (13-3-4) faced a grind in its first round game on Friday, as the Pioneers played to a 0-0 tie with fourth-seeded Southern New Hampshire. LIU Post ultimately prevailed in penalty kicks, 4-3, with junior forward Julia Duffy providing the kick which sent the Pioneers through to the second round. Senior goalkeeper Hillevi Eklow made saves against two of the five attempts in the shootout. LIU Post is making its 12th all-time appearance in the NCAA Championship.
LIU Post ranks in the top 35 teams in the country in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Pioneers have averaged 2.5 goals per game, which ranks 26th in the nation, while the team's 0.77 goals-against average ranks 34th. LIU Post boasts eight All-East Coast Conference selections, including Duffy, who landed on the Second Team and leads the offense with 26 points on 12 goals and two assists. Junior midfielder Gabrielle Clark was a First Team selection with just two goals and two assists on the season, as she was honored for her defensive acumen.
Eklow is the ECC Goalkeeper of the Year and has logged 1778:20 of the team's 1873:17 minutes in net this fall. She ranks second in the ECC in both goals-against average (0.76) and save percentage (.830).
Last Meeting
The two teams met a year ago in the NCAA Championship as well, in a first round game hosted by Adelphi on Nov. 10, 2017. LIU Post got first-half goals from Alice Schonfeldt and Veronica Saager to come away 2-0 winners and end Franklin Pierce's season.
Previously in the Postseason
Sunday will mark the third all-time NCAA Championship meeting between Franklin Pierce and LIU Post. In addition to last year's first-round meeting, the two also met in the national quarterfinal in 1998. Franklin Pierce posted a 5-0 victory in that contest, on the way to a national semifinal appearance.
Headed to the Game?
If you plan on making the trip to Rindge on Sunday afternoon, 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 - $8
Children/Seniors - $5
Students (with valid ID) - $3
The Franklin Pierce Department of Athletics will subsidize the cost of the first 150 Franklin Pierce students, who will be admitted free of charge.
Per NCAA 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's second round game will advance to the third round of the NCAA Championship next Friday, which will serve as the East Region title game. The advancing team will meet the winner of Sunday's other East Region second round contest, between Bridgeport and Saint Rose, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Bridgeport's Knights Field.
The two advancing East Region squads will come together with the Atlantic Region's two advancing teams, at the home of the higher-seeded of the two Atlantic Region squads. The site will serve as the host of the third round and national quarterfinals, which are scheduled for Nov. 16 and 18, respectively.
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).