Ravens return 14 letterwinners from last season’s squad which advanced to the NCAA East Regional Finals                                  

RINDGE, N.H. (August 10, 2010) – The Franklin Pierce University women’s soccer team was picked to finish second in the 2010 Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Poll, which was released on Tuesday by the league. The Ravens earned 209 points in the poll, as the voting was done by the league’s 16 head coaches.

Franklin Pierce returns 14 players from last season’s team, which advanced to the NCAA East Regional Championship before falling to Saint Rose. The Golden Knights were tabbed to win the league this season and defend its conference title.

Three of the Ravens 14 returnees earned all-conference recognition last season as midfielders Shona Franklin (Birmingham, England) and Amanda Panaro (Rockland, Mass.) were named to the All-Northeast-10 Second-Team, while back Julie Foster (Dennis, Mass.) was named to league’s All-Rookie Team.

In addition to those three players, Franklin Pierce also returns the services of senior back Kelly Weygand (Bridgewater, Mass.), who is one of the steadier defenders in the conference. The Ravens are also boosted by the return of junior goalkeeper Jocelyn Leon (Lenox, Mass.), who ranked among the league and national statistical leaders in 2009. Leon had a string of four-straight shutouts midway through last season.

The Ravens enter the 2010 season looking to add to their NCAA Division II-record of 18-straight appearances in the national tournament. Franklin Pierce won the NCAA title in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999, while also making appearances in the national finals in 2003 and 2007.

Franklin Pierce kicks off the 2010 season on Sept. 3-4 when it plays host to the FPU Classic in Sodexo Field. The Ravens will take on Queens (N.Y.) on Friday at 6 p.m., and then face Felician on Saturday at 4 p.m. Saturday’s contest is the first game of a Ravens soccer doubleheader as the men’s team will battle Molloy at 7 p.m. It’s all part of Franklin Pierce’s “Pierce Pride” Kickoff Weekend at Sodexo Field as the athletics department will debut the new Rocky the Raven mascot at halftime of the men’s match.

For more information on Franklin Pierce women’s soccer, please visit the team’s page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.)

2010 NORTHEAST-10 PRESEASON WOMEN’S SOCCER POLL

(First-place votes in parenthesis)

1. Saint Rose (14) – 224
2. Franklin Pierce – 209
3. UMass-Lowell – 184
4. Merrimack – 177
5. Adelphi (1) – 164
6. Stonehill – 143
7. Southern Connecticut (1) – 132
8. Saint Anselm – 127
9. American International – 103
10. Assumption – 96
11. New Haven – 86
12. Le Moyne – 81
13. Southern New Hampshire – 72
14. Saint Michael’s – 57
15. Bentley – 47
16. Pace – 18