#16 Franklin Pierce Set to Clash With #2 Seattle Pacific
Ravens ready for record
14th Final Four appearance on Thursday, looking to reach record
seventh National Final
RINDGE, N.H. (November 27, 2007) – While it may be
the lowest ranked participant, according to the National Soccer
Coaches’ Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II
poll, among the final four teams at the NCAA Division II National
Championships, the 16th-ranked Franklin Pierce University
women’s soccer team is also undeniably the field’s most
decorated.
Franklin Pierce (17-1-5, 9-1-4 NE-10), seeded third in the New
England Region, will face its sternest test of the season when it
battles No. 2-ranked and undefeated Seattle Pacific University
(23-0-0, 14-0-0 GNAC), the top-seed from the Far West Region, in
the second of two NCAA Division II National Semifinals, hosted by
the University of West Florida and the City of Orange Beach, Ala.,
at the Orange Beach Sportsplex on Thursday at 6 p.m. (EST).
Franklin Pierce’s women are joined at the Division II
Championships by the Ravens men’s team for the second time in
three seasons. The men are making their third Final Four appearance
in program history and second in three years after reaching the
National Final in 2005.
Admission this weekend is $5 for adults and $3 for students with
ID, with all-session passes (including the three NCAA Division II
Men’s Soccer Tournament matches) available for $20 for adults
and $10 for students with ID. All Franklin Pierce matches will be
broadcast live on WFPU-LP 105.3 FM and simulcast via the Franklin
Pierce athletics website at www.franklinpierce.edu/athletics.
Saturday’s National Championship match will also be televised
live on College Sports Television (CSTV) at 1 p.m. (EST).
Franklin Pierce enters its NCAA Division II record 14th Final Four
(in 16 NCAA Tournament appearances over 16 seasons), after a one
year absence, and seeks its Division II record seventh appearance
in the Championship match. The Ravens are winners of a Division II
record five National Championships, winning a record four-straight
from 1994-97 and a fifth in ’99, and last reached the final
in 2003 – falling to Kennesaw State University (2-0). The
other three Final Four participants are making just their second
Final Four appearances.
2003 was also the last time Franklin Pierce faced a Far West region
champion, as the Ravens topped UC San Diego, 2-1, in overtime in
the semifinals in Virginia Beach, Va. Thursday will mark the first
ever meeting between Franklin Pierce and Seattle Pacific. The
Ravens are 6-3-0 all-time against teams from the Far West region
– all of which have come against California-based
programs.
Franklin Pierce is unquestionably playing its best soccer of the
season heading into Thursday’s match. The Ravens have yet to
concede a goal in six postseason matches (560 minutes), including
their four NCAA Tournament contests (360 minutes). The Ravens are
also averaging 2.5 goals per match in the NCAA Tournament. Franklin
Pierce ranks eighth nationally this season with a 0.50 team goals
against average and sixth with 15 shutouts, while the Ravens 2.96
goals per game this season ranks 14th nationally.
Franklin Pierce is unbeaten in seven matches this season (5-0-2)
against nationally-ranked opposition, conceding just one goal in
670 minutes (0.13 GAA) in those contests, while scoring two goals
per match. Senior All-American Gabriela Demoner (Curitiba, Brazil)
has posted a team-best five goals and three assists for 13 points
against ranked opponents, while senior Jenna Giardina
(Pittsfield, Mass./Taconic) has added three goals (two
match-winners) and three assists for nine points.
Franklin Pierce’s defensive unit is anchored by sophomore
Rachel Smith (Chichester, N.H./Bible Baptist School
(Pa.)), a Daktronics All-New England and All-Northeast-10
selection this fall, and freshman Kelly Weygand
(Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham), a second team
All-Region pick, who are both in their first collegiate seasons as
defenders. Smith played forward as a freshman for the Ravens in
2006 and Weygand is a true freshman. The duo have also contributed
on the offensive side as well, with Smith posting four goals and
two assists for ten points to lead all Raven defenders, while
Weygand has chipped in a goal and five assists (three in the
NCAA’s) for seven points.
Junior goalkeeper Brittany Ester (Toms River, N.J./Toms
River East) is the backbone of the Franklin Pierce defense
and carries a scoreless minute streak of 588:11 into Thursday match
dating back to the 62nd minute of the Ravens 5-2 victory over
Southern Connecticut State University in their regular season
finale. She ranks sixth nationally with her 0.44 goals against
average (good for fourth best in a single-season in program
history) and .879 save percentage, while her 11 shutouts (4th-best
in program history) lead the Northeast-10 Conference. Ester is
unbeaten so far this fall with a 13-0-4 mark.
While the defense has certainly been the lynchpin of Franklin
Pierce’s NCAA Tournament run so far, the efforts of Demoner
can not be overlooked either. The Daktronics New England Region and
NE-10 Player of the Year ranks fourth nationally with 68 points,
seventh with 28 goals and 31st with 12 assists this season. Her
point total leads the NE-10 by 35 and her goal total has eclipsed
the rest of the Conference by 13. Demoner leads Franklin Pierce
with 14 points and six goals to go with two assists in the
postseason – including a team-best 11 points and five goals
to go with an assist in the NCAA Tournament so far.
Giardina, an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District, All-NE-10 and
Daktronics All-Region selection this season, has stepped up in
postseason play for Franklin Pierce to compliment Demoner. She
shares the team lead with 12 assists this fall (31st nationally) to
go with eight goals (NE-10 best five match-winners) for 28 points.
In the Ravens six postseason matches, Giardina has totaled three
goals (all match-winners) and two assists for eight points –
including two goals and two assists for six points in the NCAA
Tournament.
Seattle Pacific is making its second Final Four appearance in just
the seventh year of the program’s existence. The Falcons
reached the final in 2005, falling to the University of
Nebraska-Omaha 2-1 in overtime. They rank fifth nationally with a
0.43 team goals against average and their 15 shutouts match
Franklin Pierce’s total and rank sixth. Seattle
Pacific’s 2.65 goals per match are good for 18th
nationally.
While Franklin Pierce was on the road for its run to the Final
Four, Seattle Pacific hosted throughout the first three rounds
– capped by a 4-0 triumph over No. 4 Incarnate Word (Texas)
in the quarterfinals. The Falcons have cruised through its three
NCAA Tournament matches, outscoring the opposition 9-0 –
joining Franklin Pierce as the only teams in the final four yet to
concede a goal in the Tournament.
Sophomore goalkeeper Jesslyn Rahm (Eugene, Ore./South Eugene) ranks
fourth nationally with her 0.38 goals against average to go with a
.818 save percentage and 11 shutouts. Junior back Claire Grubbs
(Sterling, Va./Potomac Falls) anchors a Seattle Pacific defensive
unit which has yielded just one goal over its last six matches and
two in its last 11.
Senior forward Sarah Martinez (Bothell, Wash./Cedar Park
Christian), the Daktronics Far West Region Player of the Year,
leads Seattle Pacific with 43 points and 17 goals (seven
match-winners) to go with nine assists. Junior Meredith Teague
(Redmond, Wash./Bellevue Christian) has dished a team-best 16
assists to go with seven goals for 30 points, while classmate
Shannon Oakes (Boise, Idaho/Boise) has collected six goals (three
match-winners) and ten assists for 20 points.
The winner of Thursday’s match will the winner of
Thursday’s first semifinal between top-ranked Grand Valley
State (Mich.) University (21-0-1) and No. 14 University of Tampa
(18-2-2) for the National Championship on Saturday at 1 p.m.
(EST).
2007 NCAA Division II
Women’s Soccer Championship
Hosted by the University of West Florida and City of Orange Beach,
Ala.
Orange Beach Sportsplex
All Times Eastern
Thursday, November 29
Women’s Semifinals
#14 University of Tampa (18-2-2) vs. #1 Grand Valley State
University (21-0-1), 3 p.m.
#16 Franklin Pierce (17-1-5) vs. #2 Seattle Pacific University
(23-0-0), 6 p.m.
Saturday, December 1
National Championship, 1 p.m.
Broadcast live on CSTV