Experienced Ravens to face Championship newcomers in record sixth championship game appearance Saturday at 6 p.m.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (December 5, 2003) - Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 7 in the final regular season National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, has advanced to a record sixth NCAA Division II Championship match and will face No. 2-ranked Kennesaw State University tomorrow night at 6 p.m.

Franklin Pierce (22-2), participating in its record 12^th-consecutive Division II Final Four, is in search of a record sixth National Championship. Kennesaw State (24-1) is in just its second year of existence and has advanced to the title game for the first time after reaching the Southeast Regional Final in 2002.

With its sixth appearance in the championship match, Franklin Pierce broke its deadlock with Barry University who had joined the Ravens in having appeared in five title games. The Ravens have never lost a championship match, going 5-0 to claim National Championships in 1994, '95, '96, '97 and '99. Since 1999, Franklin Pierce had dropped three-straight semifinal matches before last night.        

Franklin Pierce advanced to the final with a 2-1 overtime victory over No.3 UC San Diego at the Virginia Beach SportsPlex. Sophomore midfielder Sonya Hughes (Balbriggan, Ireland) played a role in both Raven goals, netting the match-winner with just 11-seconds left in the first overtime period. Hughes collected the ball on the left flank then darted into the penalty area and beat three UCSD defenders before blasting a low shot into the left side of the net. Hughes assisted on classmate Laura Hislop's (Belfast, Northern Ireland) equalizer in the 27^th minute after the Tritons had staked out a 1-0 lead just 3:47 into the match.

Kennesaw State reached the final with a 1-0 victory over 2002 runners-up University of Nebraska-Omaha. Freshman Alissa Saylor (Fayetteville, Ga.) netted the lone goal of the match at the 59:33-mark, assisted by sophomore midfielder Jenae Gzehoviak (Marietta, Ga.).

Saturday will mark the first ever meeting between the two-sides.

Franklin Pierce is led by the All-American offensive duo of two-time Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year Meghan Welcome (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill) and Hislop. The pair have accounted for 148 of the team's points this season, including 58 of their 86 goals scored on the season. They have also netted 17 of the Ravens 22 match-winning goals.

Hislop leads Division II with 85 points and 23 assists, while her 31 goals rank second in the nation. Her 85 points is the sixth highest single-season total in NCAA Division II history and is already good for 13^th on the College's career scoring list. Hislop's 23 assists are just one shy of former Raven All-American Angela Verdoes' single-season record of 24 set in 1999 and is tied for the fifth-highest single-season total in Division II history.

The first-team All-Northeast-10 Conference selection has stepped up her game in the postseason, totaling 27 points on 12 goals (four match-winners) and three assists through seven postseason matches (includes Conference tournament). Hislop has totaled 11 points with five goals and an assist in the Ravens four NCAA Tournament games so far. She has also totaled 18 points with seven goals and four assists in seven games against ranked opponents.

Welcome ranks second only to Hislop among Conference leaders with 63 points and 27 goals, while her nine assists rank third on the team. Her ten match-winning strikes lead the Ravens.

Welcome has set nearly every scoring record at the College for US-born players as her point and goal totals from this season have surpassed her record totals of 46 points and 20 markers in 2002. She ranks sixth in program history with 128 career points and 54 career goals, both of which are highest in program history for American players.

Welcome has totaled 16 points with five goals (two match-winners) and six helpers in six postseason games this season, including a goal and assist for three points in the NCAA Tournament. Against ranked teams this fall, she has totaled seven goals (three winners) and an assist for 15 points.

Hughes has been the Ravens offensive "quarterback" all season long in the central midfield. She has totaled 35 points this fall with eight goals and 19 assists, which ranks second only to Hislop in the NE-10 and is tied for the 14^th-highest single-season total in Division II history.

Hughes has also been a major postseason contributor with 17 points on five goals and seven assists, including four goals and four assists for 12 points in four NCAA Tournament matches. Her four assists is just one shy of the NCAA Division II Tournament record set by former Ravens All-American Nathalie Geeris in 1995 and matched two other times, including once by another former Franklin Pierce All-American, Pauliina Miettinen in 1997. The second-team All-Conference pick has registered three goals and seven assists for 13 points against ranked teams.            

The backbone of the Ravens defense, which is tops in the Northeast-10 this season, is senior goalkeeper Aase Kibsgaard (Korgen, Norway) who boasts a 0.78 goals against average and .800 save percentage with seven shutouts this season. The two-time All-Conference selection ranks fourth in program history with a 0.70 career goals against average, while her 15 career shutouts are good for fifth all-time.

Also spearheading the Ravens defense is junior co-captain Martta Makila (Vantaa, Finland), an All-NCAA Tournament selection last year, who has also totaled nine points with three goals and three assists this year. She teams with senior Alison Considine (Needham, Mass./Needham), an All-NE-10 pick this fall, and freshmen Kristen Lake (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) and Mia Makarainen (Espoo, Finland).

Kennesaw State is in search of its first National Championship in women's soccer in just its second year of varsity status. The Owls, who have posted an overall record of 42-1-1 over their first two seasons, feature an offense that has four players with 30-or-more points and nine in double-digits for points.

Gzehoviak leads the Owls offense with 51 points on 14 goals and a team-leading 23 assists, which matches Franklin Pierce's Hislop for tops in Division II. Junior Jessie Fream (Marietta, Ga.) has totaled 47 points with 19 goals and nine assists, while freshman Laura Tucker (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) has added 44 points with a team-best 20 goals (team-best seven match-winners) and four assists. Rounding out the 30-point scorers with freshman Stephanie Grzeszkowiak (Marietta, Ga.) with 13 goals and six assists for 32 points.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Marek (Huntsville, Ala.) has seen the bulk of minutes in goal and boasts a 0.46 goals against average and .885 save percentage with 11 shutouts this season.   

2003 NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN'S SOCCER FINAL FOUR

Virginia Beach SportsPlex (Virginia Beach, Va.) 

Semifinals
Thursday, December 4
#2 Kennesaw State 1, Nebraska-Omaha 0
#7 Franklin Pierce 2, #3 UC San Diego 1 - OT 

Championship
Saturday, December 6
#7 Franklin Pierce (22-2) vs. #2 Kennesaw State (24-1), 6 p.m.