Ravens back home to host Southern Connecticut State on Saturday

COLCHESTER, Vt. (September 20, 2012) – Three second-half goals on Thursday afternoon turned a 1-0 halftime lead into a 4-0 victory for Saint Michael's against the Franklin Pierce University field hockey team in non-conference play at Duffy Field. Freshman goalkeeper Sarah Cote (Athol, Mass.) made nine saves in defeat for Franklin Pierce.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 2-5 (0-0 Northeast-10), while Saint Michael's improves to 2-7 (0-2 Northeast-10). The two teams will play their Northeast-10 Conference match on Oct. 13 in Rindge. Franklin Pierce is now without a goal in each of its last five games, a span of 350 minutes.

Saint Michael's got the only goal it would need on the afternoon with 7:20 to play in the first half. Senior midfielder Erin Brien had the ball near the center of the circle and sent a pass on the right side, in the general direction of freshman midfielder Megan Deschaine. The ball temporarily disappeared into traffic, but Deschaine found it first and put away her second goal of the season.

The remainder of the first half went without another goal, before the floodgates opened in the second half and the Purple Knights put home three more in the final 26:03 to create the 4-0 final. Both the second and third goals would come amidst goalmouth scrambles in the aftermath of penalty corners. First, sophomore midfielder Shannon Rice corralled a loose ball and salted away her third goal of the season. Later, senior midfielder Laken Ferreira put away a rebound for her first of the year.

The final tally came with 4:57 to play in regulation, as junior midfielder Courtney Bedell wound up with possession near the top of the circle. She sent the ball to the left post and senior forward Kelly MacDonald, who one-timed her second of the season to the back of the cage.

Cote stopped nine of the 13 shots on goal she faced and suffered the loss (2-5) in goal for Franklin Pierce, while sophomore back Brittany Lepore (Barnstable, Mass.) notched her third defensive save of the season. Sophomore Sarah Healey made two saves to record her first shutout of the year and pick up the win (2-4) between the pipes for Saint Michael's.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, Sept. 22, when return home to host Southern Connecticut State in the Northeast-10 Conference opener. Game time is set for 4 p.m. at Sodexo Field in Rindge.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). 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).