Durham, N.H., native voted to College Division third team by CoSIDA members

RINDGE, N.H. (November 29, 2005) - Franklin Pierce senior midfielder Elizabeth Allen (Durham, N.H./Oyster River) has been selected to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine College Division Academic All-America Women's Soccer Third Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The College Division teams are comprised of NCAA Division II and III and NAIA student-athletes as selected by CoSIDA's Academic All-America committee.

Allen, voted to the College Division third team, is the women's soccer program's seventh Academic All-American in program history and the third over the past two seasons. The honor is the first for Allen, who is one of just two student-athletes in program history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors all three years eligible, joining former teammate Martta Makila (2002-2004). Allen is also the lone Northeast-10 women's soccer player to earn a spot one of the three teams, and one of just two still competing at this week's NCAA Division II Tournament Final Four.         

Allen has achieved a 3.87 cumulative grade point average while majoring in sports and recreation management at Franklin Pierce. Allen has earned Northeast-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll Gold Scholar honors twice and Silver Scholar honors once during her career and is a two-time NE-10 All-Academic pick - including a unanimous first team choice this fall.

The Ravens tri-captain is a four-year letter winner at defensive midfield. Allen has played a key role for a Franklin Pierce team that ranks second in the NE-10 with a 0.67 team goals against average and third with 11 shutouts this season. In 15 matches played, 12 starts, Allen has registered a goal and assist for three points.

All three of Allen's career goals in four years at the College have been match-winners, including the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over Southern Connecticut State on October 22. Eight days later, her penalty kick capped a 4-3 shootout victory over Southern in the quarterfinal round of the NE-10 Tournament after the two sides had played to a 1-1 draw.

Mainly a defensive player for Franklin Pierce, the Ravens have yielded just 0.69 goals per match with 42 shutouts in 90 contests over Allen's four-year career. Allen has played 73 matches in her collegiate career, including 58 starts. She has been a member of four NCAA Tournament teams, including three that reached the Final Four (one National runner-up in 2003), and eight Northeast-10 Conference Championships (four regular season, four tournament).

Franklin Pierce (19-1-2, 12-1-1 NE-10), ranked No. 4 in the final regular season NSCAA/adidas Division II poll, has reached the NCAA Division II Tournament Final Four for a record 13^th time in 14 seasons and will face No. 7 University of Nebraska-Omaha in a semifinal match on Thursday at 3 p.m. (EST). The match will be broadcast live on WFPC-LP 105.3 FM and simulcast over the internet at www.franklinpierce.edu /athletics. The Ravens have claimed their fifth-straight Northeast-10 regular season title with a 12-1-1 match in Conference play and captured their sixth-straight NE-10 Tournament championship this season.