Ravens earn record 15th-straight NCAA bid, host regional for tenth time in 11 years

RINDGE, N.H. (October 30, 2006) - The Franklin Pierce women's soccer team, ranked No. 10 in the most recent NSCAA/adidas Division II poll has earned the top seed and will host the 2006 NCAA Division II New England Regional Championship on Friday and Sunday on Sodexho Field.

Franklin Pierce (17-2, 12-2 NE-10), winners of 16-straight including yesterday's victory in the Northeast-10 Tournament Championship, is joined in the four-team regional by second-seeded and No. 5-ranked the College of Saint Rose (16-2-1, 12-1-1 NE-10), the NE-10 regular season champions, third-seeded Bryant University (15-7-1, 9-4-1 NE-10), the NE-10 tournament runners up, and fourth-seeded and No. 24-ranked University of Massachusetts Lowell (10-5-3, 10-3-1 NE-10).

Admission for each session will be $7 for adults, $4 for students and senior citizens and $2 for children aged 2-12.

Franklin Pierce, winners of an NCAA Division II record five National Championships, will serve as host of the New England regional for the sixth-straight year and tenth time over the last 11 years. The Ravens 15-straight NCAA Tournament appearances are also a Division II record, as are their 13 trips to the DII Final Four. Franklin Pierce will be seeking its first National Championship since 1999 and are unbeaten in 38 home postseason matches all-time (37-0-1), including a perfect 22-0 mark all-time at home in the NCAA Tournament.

Saint Rose makes its fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament over the last five years after a one-year absence in 2005. The Golden Knights captured their first Northeast-10 regular season title by a single point over Franklin Pierce and handed the Ravens a 4-0 defeat back on August 31. The Golden Knights were upset by Bryant, 3-1, in the NE-10 semifinals last week.

Bryant makes its second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history after also receiving a bid in 2001. The Bulldogs advanced the NE-10 tournament championship with an upset win over Saint Rose, but fell to Franklin Pierce in the title match. Bryant placed fourth in the Northeast-10 this fall, setting a program record with 15 wins.

UMass Lowell earns its second-straight NCAA Tournament bid after a third-place finish in the NE-10. The River Hawks, who earned their first NCAA bid last fall, topped Bryant during the regular season, but fell to Saint Rose (overtime) and Franklin Pierce.

The winner of the regional will advance to the NCAA Quarterfinal Round on either November 11 or 12 to face the winner of the Northeast Regional being hosted by West Chester (Pa.) University this weekend.

The NCAA Division II Final Four is being hosted by the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Fla., as part of the 2006 Division II National Championships Festival November 15-18. National Championships in men's and women's cross-country, field hockey, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball will conducted over that week.

2006 NCAA Division II
Women's Soccer Championship
New England Regional
hosted by Franklin Pierce
Rindge, N.H. - Sodexho Field

Friday, November 3
#3 Bryant (15-7-1) vs. #2 Saint Rose (16-2-1), 1 p.m.
#4 UMass Lowell (10-5-3) at #1 Franklin Pierce (17-2-0), 4 p.m.

Sunday, November 5
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.