Welcome, Hislop named to first team, while Hughes earns second-team honors 

RINDGE, N.H. (December 17, 2003) - Three members of the Franklin Pierce women's soccer team have earned spots on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas NCAA Division II All-America teams.

Senior midfielder Meghan Welcome (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill) and junior forward Laura Hislop (Belfast, Northern Ireland) both received first team All-America honors, while junior midfielder Sonya Hughes (Balbriggan, Ireland) was selected to the second team.

Franklin Pierce's two first team selections increased the program's Division II record total to 24 all-time, while the three picks give the Ravens a total of 33 All-Americans in program history.                      

Welcome, a two-time Northeast-10 Player of the Year, picks up her third-straight first team selection, becoming the program's fifth three-time All-American and just the third to receive first team honors three times. She is the first three-time All-American since Pauliina Miettinen and Pauliina Auveri earned the honors three-straight years from 1996-98.

Earlier this season, Welcome became the 11^th three-time All-New England selection after also becoming the program's first four-time All-Northeast-10 Conference honoree. This fall, she ranked second on the team with 40 points (3^rd NE-10) and 17 goals (3^rd), while her six assists are third on the team.            

Welcome netted a team-best six match-winning goals this year (2^nd NE-10) to give her a program-record 27 over her four-year career which surpassed the previous program record of 26 winners set by Miettinen from 1995-98. Welcome also moved into fourth-place on the College's all-time scoring list with 168 career points, while her 71 career goals are second all-time and her 26 assists rank 15^th. She also finished her career holding the program records for career and single-season points and goals by a US-born player.

Hislop, the reigning NCAA Division II National Player of the Year, becomes the ninth two-time All-American in program history with her selection. She also claimed first team All-New England honors for the second-straight year after also earning NE-10 Player of the Year honors and her second-straight All-Conference pick this fall.

Hislop led the Northeast-10 in all three scoring categories for the second-straight season, totaling 31 goals, 15 assists and 77 points. She played a role in 46 of the Ravens 73 goals (63-percent), netted five match-winners and registered three hat tricks. Her point total is tied for seventh on the program's single-season list, while her goals rank fourth.            

Hislop will enter her final season with Franklin Pierce ranked sixth in program history with 162 career points and 62 career goals, while her 38 career assists are good for eighth all-time in just 47 matches.

Hughes, a third team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American this year, receives her first NSCAA All-America award with her selection to the second team. She is a two-time All-New England and All-Northeast-10 Conference pick, was also named to the inaugural NE-10 All-Academic squad and earned first team Academic All-District honors.

Hughes ranked third on the team with 34 points (5^th NE-10) and 11 goals (7^th), while her 12 assists were second to Hislop on the team and in the NE-10. Hughes also tallied four match-winning goals for the Ravens.

Hughes will enter her final season with the Ravens ranked 21^st in program history with 69 career points, while her 31 career assists are good for 11^th all-time. Hughes came within an assist of matching the NCAA Tournament record of five in that category while earning All-Tournament honors at the 2003 NCAA Championships.

Franklin Pierce (20-1-1, 13-1 NE-10), ranked No. 5 in the final NSCAA/adidas Division II women's soccer poll, earned a record 13^th-straight NCAA Tournament berth, advancing to the quarterfinal round after claiming its ninth-straight New England Regional title. The Ravens also won the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament title for the fifth-straight year after claiming their fourth-straight regular season crown.