Five named to NSCAA/adidas All-Region first team

RINDGE, N.H. (December 16, 2002) - Seven members of the Franklin Pierce women's soccer team were selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II All-New England teams by the head coaches in the region this week. The seven selections is a program record, surpassing the previous best of six picks in 1994, '95, '97 and 2001.

Seniors Nicole Cheadle (West Chester, Pa./Henderson), Anumari Ylesmaki (Vantaa, Finland) and Angela Verdoes (Katwijk Aan Zee, Holland), junior Aase Kibsgaard (Korgen, Norway) and sophomore Meghan Welcome (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill) were named to the first team, while senior Kamille Rosenfalck (Borup, Denmark) and sophomore Martta Makila (Vantaa, Finland) were picked to the second team.

Cheadle, a two-year captain, is picked to the All-New England team for the third-straight season. Also a three-time All-Conference selection, Cheadle was named the 2002 Northeast-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year for back boning a Ravens defensive unit that led the Conference and ranked among the best in Division II, yielding just 0.57 goals per match. Franklin Pierce set a school record when it opened the season with six-straight shutouts and did not allow more than one goal in a match until a 3-1 loss to No. 2-ranked University of Nebraska-Omaha in the national semifinals.

Cheadle, a Verizon District I Academic All-American, finished her senior season with nine points on four goals (two match-winners) and an assist. She earned Most Valuable Player honors at the Northeast-10 Championships as she netted both goals in a 2-1 win over No. 12 Merrimack College in the Championship match and anchored a Ravens backline that yielded just one marker in three tournament matches.

Ylesmaki, a tri-captain this season, earns All-New England status for the second-straight season. Also a two-time All-Northeast-10 selection, Ylesmaki moved into the midfield this season after playing in the back her previous three seasons at the College, earning NE-10 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2001. She finished the season ranked third on the team with 27 points, netting ten goals (two match-winners) and dishing seven assists, to rank ninth among Conference point leaders.

Ylesmaki, a Verizon District I Academic All-American, completed her career at the College ranked 20th in program history with 67 career points, while her 27 career assists is good for 12th. She netted both goals in the Ravens 2-1 win at Le Moyne College this season and also registered the match-winning strike in their season-opening 2-0 win at Assumption College.

Verdoes, a two-year captain, earns her third All-New England selection after earning All- America status last season. A three-time All-Conference selection and former New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Rookie of the Year in 1999, Verdoes finished her senior season ranked second on the team (7th NE-10) with 28 points and 11 goals (7th) to go along with six assists. One of her two match-winning strikes came in the 68th minute of the Ravens NCAA Quarterfinal match at No. 10 Adelphi University to snap a one-all tie.

Verdoes finishes her career at Franklin Pierce ranked sixth in program history with 143 career points and 49 career goals, while her 45 career assists is good for fifth all-time. In 1999, she dished a then NCAA Division II record 24 assists (still a school record) in helping Franklin Pierce to a record fifth National Championship. She was also named to the NCAA All-Tournament team.

Kibsgaard earns her first All-New England selection after transferring to Franklin Pierce from Champlain College prior to this season. Also an All-Northeast-10 selection, Kibsgaard was the beneficiary of the Ravens strong back line, but took immediate charge in goal. She led the Conference and ranked among the NCAA Division II leaders this season with a 0.61 goals against average to go along with a .790 save percentage in 20 starts this fall. Her eight shutouts are already good for eighth place among career leaders at the College.

Kibsgaard played all but 168 minutes for the Ravens in goal and registered a season-high total of five saves in three matches this season. She stopped five shots in both shutouts wins over Pace University (Oct. 5 & 29) as well as the Ravens 2-1 win over No. 12 Merrimack in the NE-10 Championship match (11/3).

Welcome is also earns All-New England honors for the first time this season. The 2002 Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year and two-time All-Conference selection led the NE-10 with 46 points and 20 goals (eight match-winners) this season to go along with six assists. Her 46 points surpassed Beth Ondrick's single-season school record of 41 points by a US-born player set in 1990. Welcome was picked to the NCAA All-Tournament team this season and was named the NE-10 Tournament MVP in 2001.

Welcome enters her junior season ranked 20th in program history with 67 career points and 13th with 28 goals. She totaled a career-best ten points (two shy of the school record) with a career-best four goals (one shy of the school mark) and two assists in the Ravens 10-0 win over American International College on September 30. She registered her second career hat trick with three markers in a 5-0 win over Saint Anselm College on October 22. Welcome netted the match-winning goal in overtime for the second-straight season to defeat No. 12 Merrimack in the NCAA New England Regional final on November 16.

Rosenfalck earns her second All-New England selection in as many seasons at the College. Also a two-time All-Northeast-10 selection, Rosenfalck established herself as a premier central midfielder for the Ravens. This season, she totaled 11 points - as her nine assists ranked second on the team and fourth in the Conference.

Rosenfalck finished her two-year career at the College with 26 career points on four goals and 18 assists. She also earned NCAA All-Tournament honors in 2001.

Makila earns her first All-New England honor this season. Also an All-Northeast-10 pick this fall, she teamed with Cheadle on the Ravens formidable back line that yielded just 12 goals in 21 matches this season, opening the fall with a record six-straight shutouts.

Makila, a Verizon District I Academic All-America honoree, was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team as she led the Ravens in scoring with six points, netting the Ravens first goal in all three matches. She finished the season with nine points, scoring four goals and dishing one assist. Makila netted the game-tying marker in a 1-1 draw with No. 12 Merrimack on October 2.

Franklin Pierce finished the 2002 season with a No. 3 ranking in the final NSCAA/adidas Division II women's poll, posting an 18-1-2 record overall, advancing to a record 11th straight Final Four. The Ravens claimed its second-straight Northeast-10 Conference regular season title, with a 12-0-2 clip, before capturing its third-straight NE-10 Tournament title in as many years in the Conference.