RINDGE, N.H. (September 8, 2007) – The Franklin Pierce University field hockey team dominated play for most of the day, but still dropped a tough 2-1 match to American International College in a Northeast-10 contest on Saturday afternoon at Sodexho Field. Sophomore Ashley Abernethy (Bellingham, Mass./ Bellingham) scored the lone goal of the game for the Ravens in the 55^th minute.

Overtime featured many opportunities for both teams, with Franklin Pierce taking two of three shots and all three penalty corners in the extra frame. But the Yellow Jackets scored the game-winner when Chelsey Grogan (Greenfield, Mass./ Greenfield) sent a long pass from the right sideline to a wide-open Nicole Phelps (Nassau, N.Y./Columbia), who went in uncontested on Raven netminder Stephanie Howard (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) from the top of the circle and slid the ball under the goalie’s pads.

 Franklin Pierce controlled play for most of the afternoon, especially in the second half, when the Ravens outshot the visitors by a 9-1 margin and scored the period’s only goal. At the 54:52 mark, Abernethy scored her second goal of the season after taking a loose ball in front of AIC netminder Cindy Armand (Danvers, Mass./Danvers) and pushing it into the net. Katie Debler (Walpole, Mass./ Walpole) recorded an assist on the goal.

Devyn Quigley (Oxford, Mass./Oxford) began the scoring in the 28^th minute of play, as she collected the rebound of a shot by teammate Jamie Anderson (North Attleboro, Mass./North Attleboro) and found the back of the net.

The Ravens held a decisive 15-4 shot advantage and took 11 penalty corners without conceding one to the Yellow Jackets. Armand was forced to make eight saves to earn the win, while Howard played well once again for the Ravens in making two saves.

Franklin Pierce (0-5, 0-4 NE-10) will return to conference play on Wednesday afternoon, when the Ravens travel to Colchester, Vt. to take on Saint Michael’s at 4 p.m. American International (2-2, 2-2 NE-10) will travel to Merrimack on Wednesday.

American International 2, Franklin Pierce 1 (OT)

Goals by period       1  2 OT  Tot

American Int'l          1  0  1 -  2

Franklin Pierce         0  1  0 -  1

SCORING SUMMARY:

1.  27:24 AIC Devyn Quigley (1) (Jamie Anderson) - 1 took shot from right post, 5 scored off rebound

2.  54:52 FPU Ashley Abernethy (2) (Katie Debler) - ball loose in front, 14 pushed it past out-of-position goalie

3.  83:47 AIC Nicole Phelps (2) (Chelsey Grogan) - long pass to 15, who broke in alone from top of circle

Shots: American Int'l. 4, Franklin Pierce 15

Saves: American Int'l. 8 (Cindy Armand 8), Franklin Pierce 2 (Stephanie Howard 2)

GAME STATISTICS