RINDGE, N.H. (Aug. 30, 2000) - The Franklin Pierce University
women's soccer team kick off its quest for an unprecedented sixth NCAA Division II championship today when it travels to play a non-conference game against the University of New Haven.

Game time today at Charger Field in West Haven, Conn., is 3 p.m.

The Ravens won their fifth national championship is six years last season and return seven starters from a team that went 20-1 and beat Cal Poly Pomona, 3-1, in the title game. An eighth starter, second-leading scorer Angela Verdoes (Katwijk, Holland), is most likely out of for the season after suffering a knee injury.

Franklin Pierce University
is one of five schools that will debut in the Northeast-10 Conference this year. The NE-10 released its preseason coaches polls Tuesday and the Ravens were ranked first in women's soccer.

The Ravens were ranked third in men's soccer. FP
opens its season Friday against nationally-ranked Dowling College in the first round of the Fleet Classic hosted by Assumption College. Game time in Worcester, Mass., is 2 p.m.

The Ravens were dealt a blow Tuesday when it was learned that junior co-captain David McDermott (Mersyside, England) will not be with the team this weekend.

McDermott left the team to return home to join his family in the wake of the death of his father.

``We're deeply saddened,'' first-year FP
Coach Marco Koolman said. ``Obviously, we will miss David, but right now our thoughts are with him and his family.''

The first home games for the Ravens will be Sunday when the women's soccer team host Dominican at 1 p.m., and the women's tennis team plays Dowling at 11 a.m.

The rest of FP
teams begin later in the month of September.