Johansson named NE-10 Player of the Year
Smith selected as NE-10 Defensive Player of the Year

RINDGE, N.H. (November 3, 2008) - Five members of the Franklin Pierce University women's soccer team have earned postseason honors from the Northeast-10 Conference. The All-Northeast-10 first, second and third teams, major awards and All-Rookie Team were selected by a vote of the NE-10's 15 head women's soccer coaches.

Sophomore All-American Angelika Johansson (Falkenberg, Sweden) was named the Northeast-10 Conference's Player of the Year, while junior back Rachel Smith (Chichester, N.H./Bible Baptist School (Pa.)) was selected as the NE-10's Defensive Player of the Year to highlight Franklin Pierce's four All-NE-10 selections. Johansson becomes the seventh NE-10 Player of the Year since Franklin Pierce joined the Conference prior to the 2000 season and the 13^th Conference Player of the Year overall. Smith is the fourth Defensive Player of the Year in the NE-10 for the Ravens.

Joining Johansson and Smith on the All-Northeast-10 first team is junior All-American Gabriela Demoner (Curitiba, Brazil). Senior goalkeeper Brittany Ester (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) earned third team All-NE-10 honors. Freshman midfielder Amanda Panaro (Rockland, Mass./Rockland) earned a spot on the NE-10's inaugural All-Rookie team.

Johansson leads Division II with 28 goals and 60 points to go with four assists as one of three Franklin Pierce players to start all 18 matches so far this season. She also leads the Northeast-10 with eight match-winning goals and has totaled five hat tricks as part of seven multi-goal games this season. She matched a program record with five goals in the Ravens season-opening 9-1 win over Holy Family, including two goals a program-record 32-seconds apart. She totaled a Conference-best 37 points and 17 goals with three assists during the NE-10 regular season.

Johansson, who earned NSCAA/adidas second team All-America, NE-10 Freshman of the Year and first team All-Conference honors in 2007, already ranks among program leaders with 87 career points (15^th) and 39 goals (11^th), including ten match-winning markers (9^th) in 34 career matches played. Johansson missed the Ravens entire postseason run in 2007 with an injury, but made up for lost time with four goals in yesterday's 5-0 win over Saint Anselm College in the Northeast-10 quarterfinals. She has been named NE-10 Player of the Week four times this season.

Smith, who earns All-Conference honors for the second-straight year (2^nd team 2007), leads a Franklin Pierce defensive unit which ranks third in the Northeast-10 with a 0.81 team goals against average and eight shutouts this season. The Ravens defense yielded just 0.70 goals against (2^nd NE-10) with a Conference-best seven shutouts during the NE-10 regular season. One of three Ravens who have started all 18 matches this season, the co-captain has also contributed two goals (one match-winner) for four points. 

Smith, a Daktronics All-America selection as a sophomore and consensus All-Region pick, has been a key part of a Franklin Pierce defense which has allowed an average of just 0.63 goals per match over the last two seasons after converting from the forward position where she played as a freshman. She led a defense which didn't allow a goal in eight postseason matches in 2007, including a Division II record six shutouts in the NCAA Tournament. In 64 career matches played, Smith has totaled 11 goals (five MWG) and four points for 26 points. She is an NE-10 All-Academic team honoree and two-time NE-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll scholar.

Demoner, the 2007 NE-10 Player of the Year, earns first team All-Conference honors for the third-straight year. She overcame some injuries early in the year to take over the NE-10 lead with ten assists to go with six goals for 22 points (6^th NE-10) in 16 matches played (15 starts). Three of her six goals are match-winners and she assisted on another two game-winners this season as well. Demoner earned NE-10 Player of the Week honors once this season (ninth career).

Demoner, a two-time first team All-American and the 2007 Daktronics Northeast Region Player of the Year, ranks among Franklin Pierce career leaders with 49 goals (8^th) and 34 assists (11^th) for 132 points (9^th) in 60 matches played over three seasons. She ranks seventh in program history with 12 career match-winning goals. Demoner earned Most Outstanding Offensive Player honors at the 2007 NCAA Division II Championships to conclude a season in which she ranked among national leaders with 68 points and 28 goals.

Ester earns All-Northeast-10 honors for the first time with her selection to the third team. She has seen the majority of minutes in goal this season for Franklin Pierce and has posted a 0.83 goals against average (3^rd NE-10) and .758 save percentage (10^th) with a Conference-best eight shutouts in 1,627:57 over 18 starts. In 14 NE-10 regular season matches, she posted a 0.70 GAA (3^rd) and .767 save percentage (9^th) with seven shutouts (1^st). Ester earned NE-10 Goalkeeper of the Week honors once this season (fifth career).

Ester has yet to concede a goal in postseason play over two seasons for Franklin Pierce. She posted eight shutouts in as many postseason contests in 2007, setting an NCAA Division II record with a 0.00 GAA over six NCAA Tournament matches. She extended her postseason shutout streak to 841:47 after the Ravens ninth-straight postseason shutout yesterday against Saint Anselm. 

Panaro earns a spot on the inaugural NE-10 All-Rookie team after totaling two goals and an assist for five points in nine matches (five starts) while battling injuries in her freshman season. She posted a goal and assist in her collegiate debut as the Ravens defeated Holy Family in their season-opener. She added a goal in yesterday's NE-10 quarterfinal win over Saint Anselm.

Franklin Pierce (14-3-1, 11-2-1 NE-10), regular season champions in the Northeast-10, is back in action on Thursday when the top-seeded Ravens host fourth-seeded Southern Connecticut State University (12-4-2, 9-3-2 NE-10) in semifinal round action of the NE-10 Tournament at 4 p.m.