Franklin Pierce falls just short against Merrimack, 3-2
Huszar ties the school’s single-season goals record with 11th tally of the year

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (October 18, 2007) – Franklin Pierce University received goals from grad student Mary Beth Huszar (Greenville, N.H./Mascenic Regional) and senior Alison Daday (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster), but the Ravens succumbed to Merrimack College, 3-2, in a Northeast-10 Conference women’s field hockey match on Thursday afternoon at Warrior Field.

Merrimack was led by Jenna Picco (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield), who scored two goals, including the game-winner, and Kelly Pasquantonio (Plainville, Mass./King Philip), who also tallied a goal for the Warriors.

Franklin Pierce came out strong in the opening half, as the Ravens outshot the Warriors by an 8-4 margin and took five penalty corners to Merrimack’s one, but it looked as if the visitors might head into halftime without a goal. However, the Ravens struck with 1:54 remaining in the half, as Daday took a shot that was tipped into the net by Huszar.

With the goal, Huszar’s 11^th of the season, the Greenville, N.H., native tied Heidi Nichols ’00, who scored 11 goals in 2000, for first place on the school’s single-season goals list.

Just as Franklin Pierce controlled the first half, Merrimack was the aggressor in the second half, holding a 10-6 shot advantage and holding a 6-3 edge in penalty corners. More importantly, however, Merrimack scored the first three goals of the second half and then held off the Ravens down the stretch to earn the win.

Pasquantonio began the surge at the 45:25 mark, firing a shot from very close range that eluded freshman Tevis Hannington (Canton, Mass./ Notre Dame Academy).  Picco then scored twice, including a much-needed insurance goal, in a 5:02 span later in the half, tipping in a pair of shots off of Warrior penalty corner attempts.

Picco’s second goal became necessary after Daday tipped in a pass from freshman Ashley Moirano (South Burlington, Vt./South Burlington) for her second goal of the season, a career high, with 5:46 remaining in the game.

The Ravens attempted to score the equalizer, but Jillian Tobin (Peabody, Mass./Peabody) turned away the last two Raven shots in the waning minutes. Tobin made two saves in relief of Amy Larrabee (Stratham, N.H./Exeter), who was forced to make eight saves, while Hannington made a career-high eight saves for Franklin Pierce.

Franklin Pierce (1-17, 1-14 NE-10) returns home for its final match of the 2007 season Saturday at noon, as the Ravens will honor Huszar, Daday and co-captain Elizabeth Ellis on Senior Day against sixth-ranked Bentley College at Sodexho Field. Merrimack (4-14, 4-11 NE-10) will close out its 2007 season on Sunday at Assumption College.

Merrimack 3, Franklin Pierce 2

Goals by period                    1  2  Tot

Franklin Pierce                     1  1 -  2

Merrimack College              0  3 -  3

SCORING SUMMARY:

1.  33:04 FPU Mary Beth Huszar (11) (Alison Daday)

2.  45:25 MER Kelly Pasquantonio (5) (unassisted)

3.  52:51 MER Jenna Picco (2) (Meaghan Nugent; Keri Gerrish)

4.  57:53 MER Jenna Picco (3) (Jacyln Germano; Beth Riportella)

5.  63:14 FPU Alison Daday (2) (Ashley Moirano)

Shots: Franklin Pierce 14, Merrimack College 14

Saves: Franklin Pierce 9 (Tevis Hannington 8; TEAM 1), Merrimack College 10 (Amy Larrabee 8; Jillian Tobin 2)