#5 Franklin Pierce Salvages 
Draw with Saint Rose, 1-1
Welker’s 55^th-minute equalizer avoids 
first season-opening loss since 1989

RINDGE, N.H. (August 31, 2005) – For the first time in 16-years Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 5 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA)/adidas Division II preseason coaches poll, failed to win a season-opening match as it was forced to salvage a 1-1 double-overtime draw with the College of Saint Rose in Northeast-10 Conference women’s soccer action at Sodexho Field tonight.

            Saint Rose snapped Franklin Pierce’s 15-match winning streak in season-opening matches dating back to a 1-0 loss at Springfield College on September 11, 1989. The Golden Knights also ended the Ravens 13-match streak in home openers dating back to a 3-2 loss to North Adams State on September 14, 1991.

            Saint Rose, which out-shot Franklin Pierce 16-13 on the night, jumped ahead just 3:25 into the match when sophomore Lindsay Bove (Holliston, Mass./Holliston) headed in a free kick from senior Courtney Goess (Chester, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) on the first shot of the match by either side. The goal was the first scored on the Ravens in a season-opener since Lock Haven University netted three unanswered goals after Franklin Pierce had built a 6-0 first half lead on September 2, 2001.            

Franklin Pierce equalized 9:53 into the second half when Saint Rose sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Steinberg (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) failed to hold onto a shot from freshman Ann Foley (Rockland, Mass./Rockland), which allowed sophomore Taryn Welker (Wayne, Pa./Conestoga) to bang in the rebound at the far post after a scramble. The goal was just the second of her brief collegiate career, while Foley was credited with the assist in her collegiate debut.

            The Ravens just missed taking a lead in the 71^st minute, but Alex Scavo’s (Toronto, Ontario/Brother Andre) header off a corner kick caromed off the top of the crossbar.

            Saint Rose had two good chances to regain the lead in the final 20-minutes. Freshman Sami Brown (Richland, Wash./Hanford) had a bid smothered by Franklin Pierce sophomore goalkeeper Jenna Mello (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) just before she could get a good boot on the ball after an excellent through ball to set up the break.

            Senior Christie Cremo (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) fired a shot from the right channel just outside the box that caught Mello off her line, but was headed out of the goal by Ravens junior Colleen Callahan (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) at 73:43. 

            The Ravens were out-shot 3-1 in the first overtime period, but that one shot nearly ended the match. Senior All-Americans Sonya Hughes (Balbriggan, Ireland) and Laura Hislop (Belfast, Northern Ireland) combined on a chance. Hislop’s rocket, off a Hughes free-kick from the left side, from 22-yards had Steinberg beat, but caromed off the crossbar.

            Mello finished with four saves for the Ravens, while Steinberg stopped three shots for the Golden Knights.

            Franklin Pierce (0-0-1, 0-0-1 NE-10) is back in action with a pair of non-conference matches on the road, beginning Saturday against Philadelphia University at 1 p.m. Saint Rose (2-0-1, 0-0-1 NE-10) travels to Pace University on Monday for a match at 2 p.m.

MATCH STATISTICS