COLCHESTER, Vt. (September 14, 2021) -- For most of Tuesday afternoon, a lone goal was on the scoreboard, as Saint Michael's popped an early goal against the visiting Franklin Pierce University field hockey team at Doc Jacobs Field. The Purple Knights unloaded in the fourth quarter though, and a four-goal barrage produced a lopsided, 5-0 score line in the Northeast-10 Conference contest. Junior Erickson Richard went for her first career hat trick to lead the way for Saint Michael's.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce is off to an 0-4 (0-3 NE10) start, while Saint Michael's improves to 2-3 (1-1 NE10). It was the most lopsided game in the series between the two teams since a 7-1 Saint Michael's win in Colchester on Sept. 27, 2014. Each of the eight previous meetings between the two had been decided by either one or two goals.

The Purple Knights wasted no time getting things started, as the first goal came just 73 seconds into the proceedings. Senior Jenna Puleo made a long run with the ball down the right side and hammered it towards the goalmouth as she reached the circle. Richard was on the scene to corral the ball and slot it into the back of the cage in just the second minute.

It was the start of a career day for Richard, who had gone the first 19 games of her collegiate career without finding the net. She scored the first goal of her career last week at Southern New Hampshire, and followed up two games later by making the Ravens the victims of her first career hat trick.

The rest of Richard's day would have to wait though, as her initial tally was the only goal on the board for the next three-quarters of an hour. The Ravens held their own for most of the afternoon, which would up fairly even on the statistical front. Franklin Pierce held advantages of 26-21 in shot attempts and 8-7 in penalty corners, while Saint Michael's had a 15-12 edge in shots on goal.

The wheels fell off for the Ravens in the fourth quarter though, as Saint Michael's poured in four goals to create the ugly final score. In the 48^th minute, Puleo again did the heavy lifting, as she took possession near her own circle and made a long run up the middle of the field this time. From just outside the top of the circle she drove the ball forward and senior Bonnie Gillis was able to tip it en route to tally her second goal of the campaign.

Just 95 seconds later, in the 50^th minute, the Purple Knights struck again, after sophomore Petra Bajuk took the ball into the circle along the right end line and then served it into the blender in front of the Franklin Pierce goal. After a scramble for the ball out front, it eventually popped free to sophomore Bridgie Loughlin in front of the left post for the easy finish on her first collegiate goal.

Saint Michael's made it three goals 2:30 in the 51^st minute, when Richard got back on the scoresheet by banging home the rebound after Puleo had her initial shot stopped. Richard later capped the scoring, and completed her hat trick, in the 57^th minute, when she tipped home a shot from the top of the circle by freshman Addy Fenton.

Junior goalkeeper MacKenzie Potvin (Goffstown, N.H.) made a career-best 12 saves against 17 shots -- her second double-digit save outing of the year -- but suffered the loss (0-4) in the Franklin Pierce net. Freshman Riley O'Connor (2-2) had her second double-digit game of the season as well, as she stopped all 10 shots on her cage to record her first collegiate shutout.

The Ravens return to the field on Friday, Sept. 17, when they return home for a non-conference date with Mercyhurst at 4 p.m. at Sodexo Field.