RINDGE, N.H. (October 20, 2018) – The No. 13 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University women's soccer team successfully defended its home turf again on Saturday night, this time with a 2-0 Northeast-10 Conference win over Adelphi at Sodexo Field. The Ravens got a first-half goal from senior forward Bruna Tavares (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) and a second-half insurance marker from senior back Marta Turmo (Barcelona, Spain) to take care of business against the visiting Panthers. Franklin Pierce closed out the home portion of its regular-season schedule with a 7-0-1 mark in eight games on Sodexo Field.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 11-1-1 (10-1-1 NE10), while Adelphi falls to 8-5-1 (7-5-0 NE10). Combined with results across the league earlier in the week, the Ravens have now locked up a home game in the quarterfinal round of the Northeast-10 Championship, which will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at Sodexo Field. The opponent and the game time are to be determined.

Due to the NE10 tiebreaker rules, Franklin Pierce can claim the league's regular-season title and the top seed throughout the NE10 Championship with a win in either of its remaining two games. The Ravens will visit Saint Michael's on Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 3 p.m., and travel to Southern Connecticut State for a 2 p.m. start on Saturday, Oct. 27. A win in either would guarantee Franklin Pierce would finish, at worst, tied with Southern New Hampshire at the top of the standings. The Ravens hold the tiebreaker against the Penmen, by virtue of a 4-3 win at SNHU on Sept. 18.

Adelphi had a pair of quality chances early on Saturday, but could capitalize on neither. In just the seventh minute, the Panthers earned a free kick from just steps outside the top of the penalty area, at the left-wing corner. Graduate student forward Taylor Sipos took the kick and attempted to curl the ball into the top-right corner of the net, but narrowly missed the target wide.

Things got a little hectic inside the Franklin Pierce penalty area in the 23^rd minute, which left an Adelphi forward in a one-on-one race for the ball with the goalkeeper, with an all-but empty net beckoning. Freshman goalkeeper Casey Kane (Millis, Mass.) was able to collect herself, win the footrace and clear the ball away, which kept the game scoreless.

Franklin Pierce nearly opened the scoring in the 28^th minute, when senior midfielder Nathalia Maria da Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil) played a long, aerial ball ahead from the midfield stripe. Junior forward Veronica Marques (Sao Paulo, Brazil) made a run to try to get on the other end of it, and nearly did so just outside the top of the 18-yard box. However, a member of the Adelphi back line interceded and was able to usher the ball into the penalty area, where it was picked up by freshman goalkeeper Krista Aliscio.

The Ravens would ultimately strike first, for the only goal they would need, in the 44^th minute, just 76 seconds before halftime. From the right-wing side, junior forward Sophie Cousineau (Milton, Mass.) centered for Marques, who was just outside the top of the box. Marques then played the ball into the left-wing side of the penalty area for Tavares. Tavares took the pass and then sent a chip shot over the head of Aliscio and into the right side of the net to tally her fourth goal of the year.

Adelphi's best chance at an equalizer came off of a corner in the 68^th minute. The kick from the right side, by Sipos, cleared the leap of Kane in the goalmouth and may have been ticketed for the back post. However, a member of the Franklin Pierce back line was on the scene and able to head the ball away from danger.

On a corner kick of their own in the 80^th minute, the Ravens tacked on an insurance tally to create the 2-0 final. The kick came from the left-wing corner by da Silva, who sent the ball to the top of the six-yard box, in front of the right post. Turmo got her head to the service and knocked it into the right side of the net for her second goal of the campaign.

The game played fairly even statistically. Franklin Pierce posted advantages of 11-9 in shot attempts and 5-4 in shots on goal. Adelphi earned five corner kicks, to three for the Ravens.

Kane (8-1-1) stopped all four shots on her goal to pick up the win and post her sixth shutout of the season. Aliscio (1-4-0) finished with three saves against five shots in a losing effort in front of the Adelphi net.

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).