#4 Franklin Pierce Blanks 
UMass Lowell, 5-0
Welcome, Hughes each score pair for Ravens

LOWELL, Mass. (September 6, 2003) –Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 4 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II Preseason poll, scored three times in the opening 16 minutes and cruised to a 5-0 victory over University of Massachusetts Lowell in Northeast-10 Conference women’s soccer action at Cushing Field this afternoon.       

Franklin Pierce got two goals each from junior All-American Meghan Welcome (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill) and sophomore Sonya Hughes (Balbriggan, Ireland). Hughes opened the scoring, assisted by junior Martta Makila (Vantaa, Finland), in the fifth minute of play then added her second, assisted by classmate Laura Hislop (Belfast, Northern Ireland) in the 16^th minute.

            Hislop, who finished with four points, netted a goal of her own in the eighth minute when she blasted a shot from 18-yards out after the UML defense failed to clear the ball.

            Welcome rounded out the first half scoring when she knocked in a rebound of an Hislop shot that was deflected by a River Hawks defender in the 39^th minute. Welcome rounded out her double when she headed in a cross from freshman Alex Scavo (Markham, Ontario/Brother Andre).         

Senior goalkeeper Aase Kibsgaard (Korgen, Norway) registered her second-straight shutout to open the season and the tenth of her career without registering a save. The lone UML shot on goal for the match was saved by a defender at the line. Senior Darcy Hornberger (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) made ten saves in defeat.

            Franklin Pierce out-shot UMass Lowell by a 23-2 margin for the contest, 15-1 on target.

            Franklin Pierce (2-0, 2-0 NE-10) returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Southern Connecticut State University at 3:30 p.m. UMass Lowell (1-2, 0-2 NE-10) is off until Wednesday, September 17, when it visits Merrimack College at 3:30 p.m.

#4 Franklin Pierce 5, UMass Lowell 0

Scoring Summary: FP: Sonya Hughes (Martta Makila), 5^th minute; FP: Laura Hislop (unassisted), 8^th; FP: Hughes (Hislop), 16^th; FP: Meghan Welcome (Hislop), 39^th; FP: Welcome (Alex Scavo), 53^rd.

Goalkeepers: FP: Aase Kibsgaard (90:00), no saves; UML: Darcy Hornberger (90:00), ten saves.