Ravens Score Twice in Opening Minutes of 6-0 Win Over Pace

RINDGE, N.H. (October 9, 2000) - Two days after one streak ended, another continued for the Franklin Pierce women's soccer team.

Powered by goals from Andrea Caesar (Visby, Sweden) and Minna Mustonen (Helsinki, Finland) in the first three minutes of the match, the Ravens rolled past Pace University, 6-0, Monday in a Northeast-10 Conference match held on a cold and windy day at Crystal Field.

The Ravens (8-1-1, 6-0-1 NE-10) were coming off a 2-2 tie at American International College that marked the first time ever they have not won a conference match - a winning streak that covered seven years and 51 matches.

By winning Monday, the Ravens stretched their streak of not going more than one match without a win to 139 matches. The streak started after the Ravens lost consecutive games to Sonoma (Calif.) State and Mercyhurst College in 1993.

Caesar scored the game-winner in second minute when she beat everyone to a loose ball in the box after Anumari Ylesmaki (Helsinki, Finland) advanced a corner kick by Julia Uusmalmi (Tampere, Finland). The goal was the sixth of the year for the first-year sophomore defender.

Mustonen continued her climb up the ranks of the all-time Franklin Pierce scoring leader when she scored her 11th and 12th goals of the year off crossing passes from Jenny Petronis (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) in the third and seventh minutes of the match.

Mustonen, a senior who led the NCAA in scoring last year, now has 58 goals in three years, moving into a tie with Pauliina Auveri for fourth place on the all-time Franklin Pierce goal leaders.

Mustonen, who has been slowed by a foot injury, was pulled in the 12th minute of the match, but that didn't slow the Ravens down. Petronis made it 4-0 in the 27th minute when she converted a cross from Christine Kirby (Florida, N.Y.), and junior back Katy Spencer (Burlington, Mass.) upped the lead to 5-0 in the 36th minute on a hard shot from the top of the 18-yard-box.

Freshman midfielder Jenny Gould (Londonderry, N.H.) finished off the scoring in the 88th minute on another long-range shot.

The Ravens controlled play, owning distinct advantages in shots (34-2) and corner kicks (12-2).

Junior goalkeeper Kara Shemeth (Edgartown, Mass.) was called on to make one save for her fourth shutout of the year, while sophomore keeper Kelly Smith (Sandy Hook, Conn.) came on to start the second half and made 10 saves for Pace (2-9, 0-7 NE-10).  

Shots: Franklin Pierce 34, Pace 2
Corner Kicks: Franklin Pierce 12, Pace 2