Welcome nets winner in 72nd minute to lift Ravens past #4 Adelphi

RINDGE, N.H. (November 23, 2003) - Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 7 in the final regular season National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, posted a 2-1 victory over No. 4-ranked Adelphi University in an NCAA Division II Quarterfinal match to advance to its record 12^th-consecutive Final Four at the Franklin Pierce Field Hockey/Lacrosse Complex this afternoon.

Franklin Pierce (21-2) will face No. 3-ranked UC San Diego (18-2) in a semifinal round match on Thursday, December 4, at either 5 or 7:30 p.m., at the Virginia Beach SportsPlex in Virginia Beach, Va. Official times will be announced on a conference call on Monday afternoon. UC San Diego advanced to its 14th semifinal (DII & III combined) with a 3-2 victory over No. 1-ranked Metro State (Colo.) University (21-1-1) in La Jolla, Calif., late this afternoon.

"Things are really starting to come together," said Head Coach Jeff Bailey. "I'm a little worried that we are relying too much on certain players to carry us. We need to get some of the others going and our younger players really need to step it up even more."

Adelphi rounds out its record-breaking season at 18-2-1. The Panthers had their record 18-match winning streak halted with today's loss.        

For the second time in the NCAA Tournament, Franklin Pierce fought back from a 1-0 deficit for the victory. Junior All-American and two-time Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year Meghan Welcome (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill) netted the winner in the 72^nd minute, when she knocked in her own rebound after her first kick deflected off the post and straight back at her. Sophomore Laura Hislop (Belfast, Northern Ireland) was credited with her Division II-leading 23^rd assist of the season as she sent in a cross from the left side that found Welcome on the near post.

"I wasn't stopping until it was in the back of the net," said Welcome. "The first time I hit the post and then the goalkeeper got a hand on the second one, but it still went in."

The goal marked the first time Adelphi allowed two goals all season as the Welcome marker was just the seventh goal the Panthers, the top defensive team in Division II, yielded all season. It also marked Welcome's team-leading tenth match-winner of the season and third career in an NCAA Tournament contest.

Franklin Pierce has now defeated Adelphi in an NCAA Quarterfinal for the second-straight season and third time overall. The Ravens posted identical 2-1 victories over the Panthers in the 1997 and 2002 quarterfinal rounds.

"They are a tremendous team," said Adelphi Head Coach Rich Ilsley. "(Franklin Pierce) played terrific today. We knew we were going to face a tough team today, our players respected them, but we were not intimidated."             

Adelphi opened the scoring in the 34^th minute when junior forward Josephine Coiro (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) took a waist-high pass from senior Luciana Pace (Bellmore, N.Y./Our Lady of Mercy) and kicked it over the charging effort of Franklin Pierce senior goalkeeper Aase Kibsgaard (Korgen, Norway).

The Ravens answered just 4:18 later as sophomore Sonya Hughes (Balbriggan, Ireland) collected a loose ball and chipped a shot over Adelphi senior goalkeeper Andrea Fasano (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) and inside the right post at 37:47.

"It was good to get that one back before halftime," said Bailey. "We had a chance for a second, but we looked a little ragged for the first 20-25 minutes."

Franklin Pierce had a chance to extend its lead to 3-1 four minutes after Welcome's winner when Hislop was tripped in the penalty area. However, freshman sweeper Mia Makarainen's (Espoo, Finland) penalty kick to the left side of the net was saved by Fasano.

"We've been practicing (penalty kicks) all week," said Bailey. "Mia had made all of hers, so the girls wanted to give her a chance. It would have been nice to get that one so we wouldn't have to kill off the time as much."

Franklin Pierce controlled much of the match after it fell behind. The Ravens finished the match with a 21-9 shots advantage, including 12-4 in the second half.

Fasano finished the match with nine saves, with her last coming on the penalty kick. Kibsgaard made three saves, including one on the Panthers best chance to equalize on a shot from senior Monica Miller (Albuquerque, N.M./New Mexico) that was headed inside the left post.

"(A trip to the Final Four) is what we're here for," said Hughes. "It's (Hislop and my) job to help us get that ring. We have two more games to win now."

MATCH STATISTICS