Ravens to take on Bridgeport in first round on Friday in Albany, N.Y.

2010 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Tournament Bracket

RINDGE, N.H. (November 8, 2010) -- The Franklin Pierce University women's soccer team added to its Division II-record Monday night when the Ravens earned their 19th-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Franklin Pierce (14-5-1) will be the fourth-seed in the East Region and will take on fifth-seeded Bridgeport (13-3-2) in the first round on Friday. The match will be held on Saint Rose's campus in Albany, N.Y., as the winner of Friday's match will face the top-seeded Golden Knights (21-0-0) on Sunday. The time for both matches are still to be determined and will be announced at some point on Tuesday afternoon.  

Joining Saint Rose as the other host-school in the East Region is second-seeded C.W. Post (13-1-4). The Pioneers will face the winner of Friday’s opening round match between third-seeded American International (13-6-1) and sixth-seeded Georgian Court (11-8-2). The C.W. Post sub-regional will be held in Brookville, N.Y.

The two teams that advance from the East sub-regionals will battle for the East Region championship on Friday, Nov. 19, at the top-remaining seed from the Atlantic Region. The East Region champion would then face the Atlantic Region champion on Sunday, Nov. 21 in the NCAA national quarterfinals, thus determining who would advance to the Final Four on the first weekend in December.

Franklin Pierce will be making its NCAA Division II record 19th-straight appearance in the NCAA women's tournament. The Ravens have won an NCAA Division II-record five national championships (1994-97, '99) and reached the national final on two other occasions, including the 2007 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 12-of-14 regional titles. The Ravens have appeared in the Final Four 14 times in their 18 previous NCAA Tournament appearances.

Franklin Pierce will enter the national tournament coming off an appearance in the Northeast-10 Championship game on Sunday as it dropped a tough 3-0 decision to Saint Rose.

The Ravens are led offensively by junior forward Amanda Panaro (Rockland, Mass.), who is tops in the Northeast-10 in goals scored with 19. A 2010 First-Team All-Northeast-10 selection, Panaro has logged 42 points this season and has produced a pair of hat-trick performances.

Two other Ravens earned first-team all-league honors this season, including senior midfielder Shona Franklin (Birmingham, England) and senior back Kelly Weygand (Bridgewater, Mass.). Franklin has scored eight goals and assisted on six others for 22 points and is among the league leaders in tallies and game-winning goals (5). Weygand has anchored a defensive unit which is among the league leaders in goals against average and shutouts. She also scored twice in the Ravens' 4-2 win over Merrimack in the NE-10 semifinals last Thursday.

Franklin Pierce and Bridgeport will be meeting in the NCAA Tournament for the second-consecutive season. Last year, the Ravens downed the Purple Knights, 4-1, in the second round in Bridgeport, Conn. Gabriela Demoner and Angelika Johansson each scored a pair of goals in the win, while Franklin and Weygand each registered an assist. Jocelyn Leon (Lenox, Mass.) made nine saves to earn the win in goal.

For more information on Franklin Pierce women's soccer, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceAthletics).

2010 NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT EAST REGIONAL
First Round (Friday, Nov. 12)
#4 Franklin Pierce vs. #5 Bridgeport, TBA (at Albany, N.Y.)
#3 American International vs. #6 Georgian Court, TBA (at Brookville, N.Y.)

Second Round (Sunday, Nov. 14)
Franklin Pierce/Bridgeport Winner vs. #1 Saint Rose, TBA (at Albany, N.Y.)
American International/Georgian Court Winner vs. #2 C.W. Post, TBA (at Brookville, N.Y.)

East Region Championship (Friday, Nov. 19)
Franklin Pierce/Bridgeport/Saint Rose Winner vs. American International/Georgian Court/C.W. Post Winner, TBA (at highest remaining seed in the Atlantic Region)