Hughes Finalist for Ireland’s 
Women’s Player of the Year Award
All-America midfielder one of three senior squad 
finalists for award to be announced Sunday

RINDGE, N.H. (January 31, 2005) – Franklin Pierce junior midfielder Sonya Hughes (Balbriggan, Ireland) has been named a finalist for the Women’s International Award to be announced at the 15^th Annual eircom/Football Association of Ireland (FAI) Soccer Awards banquet Sunday, February 6, in Dublin.

            Hughes, along with fellow Republic of Ireland senior women’s national team players Sharon Boyle and Elaine O’Connor, was announced as a finalist for the top women’s football honor in the Republic.            

Hughes is coming off a junior season at Franklin Pierce in which she earned both second-team All-America honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) as well as ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America accolades. She ranked third on the team with 34 points (5^th NE-10) and 11 goals (7^th), while her 12 assists were second to junior All-American and Ireland teammate Laura Hislop (Belfast, Northern Ireland) on the team and in the NE-10. Hughes also tallied four match-winning goals for the Ravens this fall.

            In addition to her All-America plaudits, Hughes received All-New England Region and All-Northeast-10 Conference honors for the second-straight year. She was also named to the ESPN The Magazine District I Academic All-America team as well as the inaugural NE-10 All-Academic squad.

            Hughes will enter her final season with the Ravens ranked 21^st in program history with 69 career points, while her 31 career assists are good for 11^th all-time. Hughes came within an assist of matching the NCAA Tournament record of five in that category while earning All-Tournament honors at the 2003 NCAA Championships.

            Hughes has earned 31 caps for Ireland’s senior women’s squad and played an integral role in her country earning promotion to the top flight of women’s international soccer in Europe after finishing atop its group in the recently completed UEFA Women’s Championship qualifying. As a result, Ireland will be aiming for qualification for the World Cup Finals for the first time beginning this summer. Hughes totaled a goal and five assists during Ireland’s UEFA Championship qualifying campaign.

            Franklin Pierce (20-1-1, 13-1 NE-10), ranked No. 5 in the final NSCAA/adidas Division II women’s soccer poll, earned a record 13^th-straight NCAA Tournament berth, advancing to the quarterfinal round after claiming its ninth-straight New England Regional title last fall. The Ravens also won the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament title for the fifth-straight year after claiming their fourth-straight regular season crown.