Franklin Pierce Issues Student-Athlete Awards & Inducts Seven Plus Team into Athletics Hall of Fame
1995 National Champion Women’s Soccer Team headlines Hall of Fame inductees
Athletics Department also issues Walter Peterson Male & Female Senior Student-Athlete of the Year and Richard Burns Male & Female Senior Scholar-Athlete
of the Year awards 

RINDGE, N.H. (May 6, 2008) – Franklin Pierce University held its annual Student-Athlete Awards and Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Banquet on Sunday. Several student-athletes received honorary scholarships or awards, while the department also inducted seven individuals and one team into its Hall of Fame.

            Members of the Franklin Pierce Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2008 are women’s basketball and soccer standout Amy (Hanlon) Lochhead, ’96, field hockey All-American Kristen (Clarke) McLaughlin, ’01, women’s soccer All-American Pauliina Miettinen, ’98, men’s tennis standout Mehdi Belhassan, ’95, men’s basketball star Wayne Boyette, ’93, men’s soccer standout Michael “Mick” Statham, ’92, contributor Gregg Doody, ’92, and the 1995 National Champion women’s soccer team.

            Student-athlete awards issued were the Fred Berger, Catherine Crochiere, Henry Verity, Bruce Kirsh and Don & Judy Schriefer Scholarships as well as the Franklin Pierce Athletics Community Service Award, Richard Burns Male & Female Senior Scholar-Athletes of the Year and Walter Peterson Male & Female Senior Student-Athletes of the Year.

Amy (Hanlon) Lochhead, a native of Abington, Mass., (Cardinal Spellman HS) was a four-year letterwinner on both the Franklin Pierce women’s soccer and basketball teams from 1992-96. She was a key contributor on a women’s soccer program that posted a combined 65-4-0 record over her four years, including a 39-0 mark her last two seasons, and a women’s basketball team that was 77-38 over her career, featuring three 20-win seasons.

Hanlon was part of four NCAA Tournament teams in women’s soccer and two NCAA campaigns in basketball. She was a member of Franklin Pierce’s first two National Championship teams in women soccer in 1994 & ’95. She was also a member of the Ravens women’s basketball team that captured its first New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) championship in 1993-94.

Hanlon earned All-NECC honors in soccer two seasons, including first team honors in 1994. She ranks ninth in soccer program history with 124 career points (2^nd among US-born players all-time for the Ravens) and 48 career goals, while her 17 career match-winning goals are good for fourth in program history. 

Kristen (Clarke) McLaughlin, a native of Brewster, N.Y., (Brewster HS), is the lone first team All-Northeast-10 Conference and All-American in the history of the field hockey program at Franklin Pierce. She earned the honors as a senior in 2000, leading the Ravens to a program-best 11-7 record overall, including a 7-2 clip in its first NE-10 season. The Ravens were a top seed in the NE-10 tournament and also earned the only ECAC Division II Championship berth in program history.

Clarke was a four-year starter in the program’s first four years as a varsity program since the mid-1980’s, from 1997-2000. She still ranks third in program history with ten career assists, while her 24 career points are good for ninth all-time. Clarke’s five assists her senior year shared the program record, along with twin sister, Karen, until it was broken last fall. She dished a program-record two assists against LIU-C.W. Post during her junior season.

Pauliina Miettinen, a native of Helsinki, Finland, was a four-year starter for Franklin Pierce from 1995-98, and the most prolific scorer in the history of NCAA Division II women’s soccer. She helped lead Franklin Pierce to an 80-2 record, including a 30-0 clip in the NECC, four NCAA Final Four berths over her career with three National Championships and four NECC titles.

Miettinen was the third three-time All-American in program history, collecting first team honors as a sophomore, junior and senior, and was a two-time Academic All-American. She was a three-time NSCAA/adidas All-Region selection and NECC Player of the Year and four-time All-NECC pick.

            Miettinen led Division II in scoring twice, including her senior season when she scored a then NCAA II record 105 points – a total that ranks as the third-highest total in Division II history to this day. Her 305 career points and 65 career assists are still national records in Division II, while her 122 career goals are good for second in DII history.           

Mehdi Belhassan, a native of Casablanca, Morocco, was a four-year mainstay atop Franklin Pierce’s men’s tennis lineup from 1990-94. Regarded as one of the finest tennis players in program history, he led the Ravens to a No. 1 ranking in the New England Region each year.

            Belhassan was ranked 34^th nationally in the Rolex Collegiate Rankings in 1993-94 and was the first Franklin Pierce tennis player to earn NCAA Tournament bids, reaching the national tournament in 1991, ’93 and ’94. He earned a first round win over the No. 2-ranked singles player in Division II his senior year, marking the first time a Raven had won a match in the national tournament.           

Wayne Boyette, a native of Waterbury, Conn., (Crosby HS), was a four-year letterwinner on the Franklin Pierce men’s basketball team from 1990-94. He helped lead the Ravens to an 86-35 record over his career and three NCAA Tournament bids – reaching the Sweet 16 in 1993.

            Boyette earned All-NECC first team honors as a senior in 1993-94 and still ranks seventh in program history with 1,593 career points.

            Mick Statham, a native of Heywood, England, was a four-year starter on the Franklin Pierce men’s soccer team from 1988-91. He played an instrumental role in the

program’s transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II contender, as the Ravens posted a 60-19-4 record over his four years. Franklin Pierce captured its first NECC Championship in 1991, also earning the first NCAA Tournament bid in program history as the Ravens advanced to the Final Four for the first time.

            Statham earned NSCAA/adidas All-Northeast Region honors three times over his career and was named All-NECC on two occasions. He still ranks 21^st in program history with 41 career points, while his 15 career assists are good for 14^th all-time.

            Gregg Doody, a native of Brockton, Mass., has had a relationship with the Franklin Pierce athletics department dating back to his days as a student from 1988-92. He is an avid supporter of all Ravens athletics teams, but has traveled to Montgomery, Ala., for the NCAA Division II baseball championships, as well as Wichita Falls, Texas, and Orange Beach, Ala., for NCAA Division II Soccer Championships in recent years.

            Doody has been an advocate for the athletics department during his time as Alumni Board President, which included a position on the Board of Trustees for Franklin Pierce. He also assisted on fund raising efforts for both the building of Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field and the Pappas Field lighting project.           

The 1995 National Champion Franklin Pierce women’s soccer team is regarded by most as the best team Division II has ever seen. The Ravens rolled to a 20-0 overall record that season, including a 7-0 mark in the New England Collegiate Conference to claim its second-straight conference championship.

            The Ravens outscored their opponents 129-4 that season, including 111-1 in their last 17 contests – setting an NCAA Division II record with 15 consecutive shutouts along the way. The 129 goals scored currently ranks second in NCAA Division II history, while the Ravens 0.20 team goals against average is the third-lowest in DII history.

            Franklin Pierce opened defense of its first NCAA Championship in program history with an 8-0 victory in the quarterfinal round over Mercyhurst College. The Ravens then hosted the Division II Final Four for the second-straight year and notched wins over Sonoma State University (3-1) and Barry University (5-0) to claim the national championship.

Senior Ewa Bergsten served as team captain, with head coach Mark Krikorian. The team featured two NCAA II Players of the Year, four All-Americans, six All-New England and eight Conference All-Stars. 15 of 16 field players scored goals, led by 28 from Parnilla Larsson, and every player notched at least one assist, including a team-best 20 from Nathalie Geeris. Senior goalkeeper Jeanette Smith posted a 0.26 GAA, with ten shutouts, and a .907 save percentage. 

Walter Peterson Male and Female Senior Student-Athletes of the Year

Franklin Pierce seniors Jenna Mello (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry), a member of the women’s soccer team, and James Thorpe (East Longmeadow, Mass./Bridgton Academy), a member of the 2007 NCAA Division II National Champion men’s soccer team, were named the Walter Peterson Female and Male Senior Student-Athletes of the Year, respectively.

            Mello was a four-year letterwinner and starter for the women’s soccer team, serving as captain her junior and senior seasons. She was part of four NCAA Tournament teams, reaching the Final Four twice – including National Runners-up in 2007. Despite seeing her senior year cut short with a knee injury, Mello finished her career ranked second in program history with 27 career shutouts and fifth with a 0.70 career goals against average. She earned Daktronics All-New England Region honors as a junior and collected Northeast-10 Goalkeeper of the Week honors ten times over her career.

            Thorpe, a four-year starting goalkeeper and captain as a senior for Franklin Pierce, leaves the University as the most decorated men’s soccer player in program history. The NSCAA/adidas Division II Player of the Year led the Ravens to its first National Championship last fall. Thorpe is the first three-time All-American in program history and first in Northeast-10 men’s soccer history to earn Goalkeeper of the Year honors all four years. He set an NCAA record for all divisions with his 8,391:11 played in goal over his four years, setting NE-10 and program records with 49 career shutouts and a 0.66 career GAA, leaving Franklin Pierce holding nearly every goalkeeping record at the University. Thorpe was drafted by DC United in Major League Soccer’s supplemental draft, signing a contract with the club in April.

Richard Burns Male and Female Senior Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Franklin Pierce seniors Elizabeth Ellis (Turner, Maine/Leavitt) and Peter Petropanagos (Mississauga, Ontario) received the Richard Burns Female and Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, respectively.           

Ellis was a four-year starter on the Franklin Pierce field hockey team, serving as captain as a junior and senior. She earned a 3.87 cumulative grade point average while majoring in marketing. She is one of just five student-athletes in program history to earn All-Academic honors all four years from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) and is a three-time Northeast-10 All-Academic first team selection. A member of Chi Alpha Sigma National Scholar-Athletes Honor Society, Ellis finished her career ranked first in program history with 72 games played.

            Petropanagos is a four-year starter on the men’s soccer team, serving as captain his senior year, leading the Ravens the first National Championship in program history. He has graduated with a 3.86 cumulative grade point average with a pre-med major at the University. Petropanagos is the first three-time Academic All-American in program history, earning second team honors as a senior after collecting first team honors as a junior and third team his sophomore year, and is also the first three-time first team Academic All-District honoree in men’s soccer history at Franklin Pierce. He is a three-time All-Northeast-10 Conference selection, earning first team honors as a junior and senior, and two-time NSCAA/adidas All-Region pick. 

Franklin Pierce Athletics Community Service Award
Franklin Pierce senior Katherine Surgen (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire Regional) was presented with the department’s Community Service Award for the second-straight year. The award is presented annually to a student-athlete who has performed outstanding community service during their career at the University.           

Surgen, a key member of both the softball and women’s rowing teams, has served as student assistant director of community service at Franklin Pierce. She is coordinator of Franklin Pierce volunteers for “Kitty Rescue and Adoption,” in Jaffrey and “Fast Friends Greyhound Rescue,” in Keene. Surgen has also been involved in “Caps for Kids,” “Socks and Book Tree,” and “Empty Bowls.” She has also performed in Lachrimae and the Renaissance Ensemble and performed the National Anthem at several athletic events on campus.

            Surgen is a four-year starter at catcher for the Ravens softball team and has also been a key member of both the Ravens varsity eight and four crews during the fall head seasons. She earned NE-10 All-Academic honors for softball as a junior and senior and was Franklin Pierce’s Female NCAA Institutional Sportsmanship Award recipient. Surgen capped her softball career holding the program’s career record with 152 games played.

Don and Judy Schriefer Scholarships

Franklin Pierce juniors Kathleen Judge (Lowell, Mass./Lowell Catholic), a three-year letter winner on the women’s tennis team, and Cliff Hicks (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack), a three-year letterwinner on the baseball team, and sophomores Carolyn McNeil (Lowell, Mass./Lowell), a member of the women’s lacrosse team, and Ian Randall (Leominster, Mass./Leominster), all received Don and Judy Schriefer Scholarships.

Judge is a repeat recipient of the award, while McNeil, Hicks and Randall earn the scholarships for the first time. The Don and Judy Scholarships recognize returning non-scholarship student-athletes who are recommended by their coaches’ and meet certain other criteria set by the College’s development office. 

Bruce Kirsh Scholarship

Franklin Pierce junior Tristan Shields (Mason, N.H./St. Bernard’s), a member of the men’s basketball team, was awarded the Bruce Kirsh Scholarship for the second-straight year. The award is given annually to a non-scholarship varsity student-athlete who best exemplifies the integrity, hard work and dedication to the College and Community represented by Franklin Pierce’s Vice President and Director of Athletics. 

Catherine Crochiere Scholarship

Franklin Pierce junior Melissa Kapela (Queens, N.Y./Christ the King) received the Catherine Crochiere Scholarship for the second-straight year. The award is given to a women’s basketball player in memory of the 1968 Franklin Pierce graduate who was a faculty member at the time of her tragic death in an automobile accident in 1972. Kapela was a valuable reserve on the Franklin Pierce team which captured the first NCAA Division II Northeast Regional title in program history, advancing to the Elite Eight in Kearney, Neb. 

Henry Verity Scholarship

Franklin Pierce junior Myles Morneault (Madawaska, Maine/Madawaska) received the Henry Verity Scholarship. The award is given to a men’s soccer player entering his senior year, who is a community leader, team player, all-around good student and United States citizen. The scholarship is in memory of Verity, a former soccer player at the College, who passed away in August, 2001, after a battle with cancer. Morneault was a reserve defender on Franklin Pierce’s National Championship men’s soccer team last fall. 

Fred Berger Scholarship
Franklin Pierce junior Hakeem Gilman (Brooklyn, N.Y./ East New York High School of Transit Technology) received the Fred Berger Scholarship for the second-straight year. The scholarship is given annually to a deserving manager of one of the varsity programs at the College. Gilman recently completed his second year as manager of the Ravens men’s basketball team.