RINDGE, N.H. (March 24, 2021) – Senior attack Caroline Lounsbury (Franklin, Mass.) had a career day on Wednesday afternoon, as she poured in a career-best eight goals and tallied a career-high nine points, including the 100^th point of her career, to lead the Franklin Pierce University women's lacrosse team to its second straight win to open the season. Lounsbury matched the opposition's goal total herself, as the Ravens rolled to a 19-8 win over Saint Michael's in their home opener at Sodexo Field.

With the Northeast-10 Conference victory, Franklin Pierce improves to 2-0 (2-0 NE10), while Saint Michael's falls to 0-2 (0-2 NE10).

Lounsbury became the 13^th player in program history to record 100 career points, and did so with 82 goals and 18 assists. Interestingly, three of the 13-member club were on Sodexo Field on Wednesday, as Lounsbury joined her two coaches, head coach Caitlin Sweeney '18 (194-60-254) and twin-sister assistant coach Briana Sweeney '18 (165-49-214), in the 100-point brigade.

Lounsbury reached the century mark with 2:33 to go in the second half, after she was awarded a free-position shot, which she easily put away to cap her nine-point outing.

Earlier, Franklin Pierce took control of the game from the outset, as the Ravens scored seven straight goals before the Purple Knights could record a shot on goal, and three more before Saint Michael's could find the back of the net. Lounsbury scored three times, and junior attack Savannah Ernst (American Fork, Utah) added four more in the game-opening, 10-0 run.

The second half saw a much more competitive 30 minutes between the two teams. Coming out of halftime, the scoreboard read 13-3 in favor of the crimson and grey, and the margin would remain largely the same the rest of the way. Franklin Pierce posted a 6-5 advantage in the second half to finish off the 19-8 victory.

Lounsbury did the heaviest lifting for the Ravens, but Ernst and fellow juniors Morgan Baxendale (Orchard Park, N.Y.) and Kaitlyn Daly (LaGrangeville, N.Y.) chipped in as well. Ernst finished with five points (4-1-5), while Baxendale contributed four (2-2-4) and Daly added three (2-1-3).

Defensively, graduate student Sarah Waldrep (North Andover, Mass.) and sophomore Danielle Brazeau (Southborough, Mass.) each picked up three ground balls, while junior Madison Leslie (Lewiston, Maine) caused a pair of turnovers. Waldrep collected a game-high seven draw controls.

For Saint Michael's, junior Kelsey Bush and freshman Amanda Drislane each posted hat tricks, and the latter added two assists as well for a five-point afternoon (3-2-5), but only two other Purple Knights tallied even one point. Senior Emma Coleman led all players with six ground balls and three caused turnovers.

Senior goalkeeper Casey Butera (West Milford, N.J.) started the game for the Ravens and made one save in the crease in the first half en route to the win (2-0). Sophomore Erin Blake (Southborough, Mass.) got the nod for the second half and made three saves against eight shots.

Senior Lucy Chin and freshman Hope Msumba split time in the crease for the Purple Knights. Chin surrendered 13 goals on 16 shots in the first half and suffered the loss (0-2). Msumba did not record a save against six second-half shots on goal.

The Ravens are scheduled to be back in action Saturday, March 27 at Saint Anselm at 11 a.m.