#1 Franklin Pierce Swarms 
American International, 7-0
Hughes dishes four assists, 
Scavo and Hislop net hat tricks for Ravens

RINDGE, N.H. (September 25, 2004) – Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 1 this week’s National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, broke open a 2-0 match at the intermission with five second-half goals and coasted to a 7-0 victory over American International College in Northeast-10 Conference women’s soccer action this afternoon.

            Junior midfielder Sonya Hughes (Balbriggan, Ireland) dished a Franklin Pierce career-best four assists to lead the Ravens attack. She played a significant role in the hat trick exploits of junior All-American Laura Hislop (Belfast, Northern Ireland) and sophomore Alex Scavo (Toronto, Ontario/Brother Andre). Senior All-American Meghan Welcome (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill) also chipped in a goal for the Ravens who are now unbeaten in their last 101 home matches against New England Region opponents (99-0-2).            

While the three goals for Scavo were a career-best for the backliner, it was the second hat trick of the season for Hislop and seventh of her Franklin Pierce career.

            After some misfortune kept the Ravens off the scoreboard in the early going, they finally broke through in the 32^nd minute as Hughes fed Hislop with a through ball that was misjudged by American International junior goalkeeper Sara Hyde (Winter Haven, Fla./Auburndale), allowing Hislop to break in for the empty net goal. The match-winning tally was her team leading third of the season and tenth of her career.

            Franklin Pierce doubled its lead just 3:13 later as Hughes spotted Welcome in the center of the penalty area on a free kick from the left channel for a one-timed shot off the side of Welcome’s foot at 34:33.

            Scavo then scored all three of her goals in

succession to open the second half. Her first came off a corner kick just 44-seconds into the stanza when she followed up her own rebound. Scavo converted on a scramble in front after off a serve from Hughes at 60:58, then headed in a Hughes corner kick at the far post at 61:58.

            Hislop then rounded out the scoring for the Ravens with a pair of goals to complete her hat trick, scoring first on a break away set up by sophomore Caoimhe O’Donnell (Bowmanville, Ontario/Virginia Intermont) at 73:52, before curling in a free kick from the right channel in the 80^th minute.

            Sophomore goalkeeper Linnea Authier (East Longmeadow, Mass./East Longmeadow) posted one save to preserve her first shutout of the season (third career) for the Ravens. Hyde finished with six stops for the Yellow Jackets.

            Franklin Pierce (7-0, 5-0 NE-10) returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Conference and regional rivals Merrimack College at 3:30 p.m. American International (1-7, 1-4 NE-10) hosts Saint Anselm College on Thursday at 4 p.m.

MATCH STATISTICS