Hislop, Hughes honored for third-straight year, Scavo selected for second-straight season

RINDGE, N.H. (December 8, 2005) - Three members of the Franklin Pierce women's soccer team have been selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II All-New England Region first team by the region's head coaches.

Seniors Laura Hislop (Belfast, Northern Ireland) and Sonya Hughes (Balbriggan, Ireland) and junior back Alex Scavo (Toronto, Ontario/Brother Andre) were all selected to the All-New England first team and are now eligible for All-America honors.            

Hislop, a first team All-New England selection three-straight years, led Franklin Pierce with 24 goals, 12 assists and 60 points this season. She has also netted a team-best seven match-winning goals in 22 matches played. Hislop led the Northast-10 in assists and points, while finishing second in goals scored.

Hislop, a two-time Northeast-10 Player of the Year and the NSCAA/adidas Division II Player of the Year in 2003, became just the second player in program history to reach the 200 career point plateau earlier this season. In 68 career matches played, she ranks second all-time with 222 points (7^th NCAA Division II history) and 86 goals (12^th), while her 50 career assists are good for third all-time (9^th). Hislop, a two-time first team All-American, also ranks third with 19 career match-winning goals. 

Hughes, also a three-time All-New England pick, is named to the first team for the second-straight year after totaling 13 goals (4^th NE-10) and eight assists (4^th) for 34 points (3^rd). She also netted six match-winning goals, which ranked third in the NE-10. She collected MVP honors for the NE-10 Tournament as she scored three goals, including the match-winner with just 38-seconds remaining in regulation in the Ravens 1-0 victory over No. 18 Assumption College in the title match.

Hughes, a two-time NE-10 All-Academic and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection, also collected NSCAA All-America and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors in 2004. She finished her career ranked ninth all-time at the College with 103 career points, while her 32 career goals are good for 11^th and her 39 career assists rank ninth in program history. Hughes also ranks seventh with 12 career match-winning goals.            

Scavo, a repeat first team All-Region selection, showed tremendous versatility for the Ravens in 2005. After seeing time as a forward her freshman year and strictly a back in 2004, Scavo started out in the back for Franklin Pierce in 2005, but moved into more of a midfield role as the season wore on. She aided a Ravens defensive unit, which ranked third in the Conference with a 0.73 team goals against average and 11 shutouts this season. Scavo finished the season third on the team with eight goals (two match-winners) to go with an assist for 17 points (third on team).

Scavo, also a two-time All-Northeast-10 pick, has totaled 20 goals and eight assists for 48 points in 69 career matches played. She has also netted six match-winning goals. Over the last two years, the Ravens defense has allowed just 0.69 goals per match with 22 shutouts.

Franklin Pierce (19-2-2, 12-1-1 NE-10), ranked No. 3 in the final NSCAA/adidas Division II rankings, advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament for the 13^th time in 14 years before being edged by eventual National Champions University of Nebraska-Omaha, 2-1, in the semifinals. The Ravens captured their sixth-straight Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Championship and fifth-straight NE-10 regular season crown.