Second-seeded Ravens to face the winner of Friday's match between third-seeded Saint Rose and sixth-seeded Georgian Court on Sunday

RINDGE, N.H. (November 12, 2008) - Franklin Pierce University, ranked 10^th in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, has earned its record 17^th-straight NCAA Division II Tournament berth and will host one of two East sub-regionals Friday and Sunday at Sodexo Field.

Franklin Pierce (15-3-2, 11-2-1 NE-10) is the No. 2-seed in the East Regional and will host one half of the regional bracket with top-seeded and No. 8-ranked LIU-C.W. Post (17-2-1, 8-1-0 ECC) hosting the other half. Heading to Rindge to play an opening round match on Friday (2 p.m.) will be sixth-seeded Georgian Court University (12-6-5, 7-1-2 CACC), who earned the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference's automatic bid, and third-seeded and No. 21-ranked The College of Saint Rose (16-3-2, 11-2-1 NE-10), who earned the Northeast-10 Conference's automatic bid. The winner of Friday's match will advance to play Franklin Pierce in a regional semifinal on Sunday at noon.

Admission to this weekend's matches is $7.00 for adults, $4.00 for students and senior citizens, $2.00 for children ages 2-12, with those under two admitted free. Both matches will also be broadcast live on WFPC-LP 105.3 FM and streamed live over the internet via Franklin Pierce's athletics website (athletics.franklinpierce.edu).

Joining C.W. Post for the Brookville, N.Y., sub-regional will be fourth-seeded and fellow East Coast Conference member University of Bridgeport (16-4-1, 7-2-0 ECC) and fifth-seeded Merrimack College (12-4-2, 10-3-1 NE-10) from the Northeast-10. The two teams that advance from the two East sub-regionals will battle for the East Region championship on Friday, November 21, at the top-remaining seed from the Atlantic Region following its regional action this weekend.

Franklin Pierce will be making its NCAA Division II record 17^th-straight appearance in the NCAA women's tournament. The Ravens, co-regular season champions of the NE-10 along with Saint Rose, have won an NCAA II record five National Championships (1994-97, '99) and reached the national final on two other occasions, including last season when the Ravens fell in a penalty kick shootout to the University of Tampa after the two sides played to a 0-0 double-overtime draw.

Since regional play began in 1996, Franklin Pierce has won all 12 regional titles. The Ravens have appeared in the Final Four 14 times in their 16 previous NCAA Tournament appearances. Franklin Pierce enters the NCAA Tournament unbeaten over its last nine (8-0-1) following Sunday's 1-1 double-overtime draw with Saint Rose in the NE-10 tournament championship.

Franklin Pierce is led by a trio of All-Americans in juniors Gabriela Demoner (Curitiba, Brazil) and Rachel Smith (Chichester, N.H./Bible Baptist School (Pa.)) and sophomore Angelika Johansson (Falkenberg, Sweden). Johansson leads all of Division II with 63 points and 29 goals to go with five assists in 20 matches this season. Demoner has added a Conference-best 11 assists to go with seven goals for 25 points, while Smith anchors a Ravens defensive unit which ranks third in the NE-10 with a 0.82 team goals against average as well as eight shutouts. 

Saint Rose is making its sixth appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament - all of which have come in the last seven seasons. The Golden Knights have reached the regional final on three occasions, including 2007 when they dropped a 2-0 decision to Franklin Pierce in Albany, N.Y. Saint Rose is ranked second in the Northeast-10 with a 0.70 team goals against average and third in scoring with 2.14 goals per match. Junior goalkeeper Shannon Murphy (Charlton, Mass./St. Peter Marian), who was named Most Outstanding Player of the NE-10 championships, anchors the defense and leads the NE-10 with a 0.55 goals against average to go with a .839 save percentage (2^nd NE-10) and six shutouts (4^th). Senior forward Kailey Egbert (Camp Hill, Pa./Trinity) and freshman midfielder Christina Cuffari (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) lead the scoring parade with 16 points apiece behind six goals and four assists.

Georgian Court makes its NCAA Tournament debut on Friday after capturing the CACC tournament championship. The Lions lead the CACC with a 0.93 team goals against average and are third in scoring with 2.50 goals per match. Junior Lindsay Hammond (Brunswick, Maine/Brunswick) has seen the majority of work in goal for Georgian Court leads the CACC with a 0.94 goals against average and .880 save percentage to go with six shutouts (2^nd CACC). Freshman Kelly Lyons (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) leads CACC with 48 points and 22 goals to go with four assists. Sophomore Shannon Mastrogiavanni (Monroe Township, N.J./East Brunswick) leads the Conference with 11 assists to go with two goals for 15 points.

2008 NCAA Division II
Women's Soccer East Regional

Friday, November 14
First Round
Sodexo Field (Rindge, N.H.)
#6 Georgian Court (12-6-5, 7-1-3 CACC) vs. #3 Saint Rose (16-3-2, 11-2-1 NE-10), 2 p.m.

LIU-C.W. Post (Brookville, N.Y.)
#5 Merrimack (12-4-2, 10-3-1 NE-10) vs. #4 Bridgeport (16-4-1, 7-2-0 ECC), 1 p.m.

Sunday, November 16
Regional Semifinals

Sodexo Field (Rindge, N.H.)
Georgian Court/Saint Rose winner at #2 Franklin Pierce (15-3-2, 11-2-1 NE-10), Noon

LIU-C.W. Post (Brookville, N.Y.)
Merrimack/Bridgeport winner at #1 LIU-C.W. Post (17-2-1, 8-1-0 ECC), 1 p.m.

The East Region's two finalists will play for the East Region Championship the following weekend. The site of the regional finals and national quarterfinal will be at the site of the highest remaining seed from the Atlantic Region following this weekend's matches.