Demoner nets hat trick, becomes 11th member of Ravens 100-point club

SMITHFIELD, R.I. (November 9, 2007) – Third-seeded Franklin Pierce University, ranked 16th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II coaches’ poll scored two goals in each half to claim a 4-0 victory over sixth-seeded Holy Family University in opening round action of the 2007 NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Tournament New England Regional at Bryant University’s Turf Field this evening.

Franklin Pierce (14-1-5) advances to Sunday’s second round where it will face second-seeded and host Bryant (17-1-5), ranked 8th nationally, on the Turf Field at 1 p.m. Bryant received a bye through the first round. Holy Family (14-8-0), regular season and tournament champions of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC), was making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.

Senior All-American Gabriela Demoner (Curitiba, Brazil), the Daktronics New England Region and Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year, led Franklin Pierce with her third hat trick of the season and in the process became the 11th player in program history to reach the 100 career point plateau. She moved into tenth on Franklin Pierce’s career point list with her 105 career points (41 goals, 23 assists) in 39 career matches played.

Sophomore back Rachel Smith (Chichester, N.H./Bible Baptist School (Pa.)) added a goal for Franklin Pierce, while senior Jenna Giardina (Pittsfield, Mass./Taconic), sophomore Mackenzie Bulych (Regina, Saskatchewan/Dr. Martin LeBoldus) and freshman Kelly Weygand (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) each collected assists.

Junior goalkeeper Brittany Ester (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) made two saves to post her eighth shutout of the season. She has not allowed a goal over the Ravens last 318:11 of action – including all 290 minutes in the postseason so far. Senior Kelly McGrogan (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Hubert’s) made 11 saves in goal for Holy Family.

Franklin Pierce was spurred by a pair of goals just 19-seconds apart in the 13th minute. Smith headed in a cross from Weygand to open the scoring at the 12:13-mark. Demoner netted her first goal just 19-seconds later when she burst through the defense for an unassisted strike at 12:32.

Demoner scored both Franklin Pierce goals in the second half to round out her hat trick – coming within a marker of the NCAA Division II Tournament record for goals in a match set by former Raven All-American Minna Mustonen with her four goals against Bloomsburg (Pa.) University in 2000. Bulych set up Demoner 6:27 into the second half, while Giardina had the assist on Demoner’s final goal in the 66th minute.