Recap by student-staff writer Jonah Boyea 

MANCHESTER, NH. (2/25/2025) – Franklin Pierce women's lacrosse fell down early and couldn't keep up against the no. 24 nationally ranked Saint Anselm Hawks Tuesday evening, 17-3.

Score: Franklin Pierce 3, Saint Anslem 17
Records: Franklin Pierce 0-1 (0-0, NE10), Saint Anselm 3-0 (0-0, NE10)
Location: Grappone Stadium, Saint Anselm College, Manchester, New Hampshire
Date: Tuesday, February 25th, 2025

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Hawks started the scoring with Jaycie Balboni at the nine-minute mark as she weaved her way through the Raven defense and netted it for the early 1-0 lead for the Hawks.
• Then a minute later, Ayla McDermod broke away from the Raven defense and finished the one-on-one with the Hawks second goal of the first period, 2-0.
• Julia Marsden then added another goal in the first period for the Hawks after getting an opening in the midfield now making it 3-0.
• The Ravens then countered after Courtney Hannes (Tyngsborough, Mass.) fed Erin McIlroy (Newfields, N.H.) and with a nice spin move was able to net the Ravens first goal of the season and cut the lead down to two.
• The Hawks, however, answered not long after as with two minutes left in the quarter, it was once again McDermod who made a nice cut inside and scored increasing the Hawk lead to 4-1. Alyssa Hill then added one final goal before the end of the period making it 5-1 at the end of the first.
• The second period was all Hawks as they tallied four goals. McDermod collected her third goal of the game to kickstart the period. It was then a stalemate until the final twenty-six seconds when Alyssa Hill scored two and Samantha Rivet added one to increase the Hawk lead 9-1.
• The Hawks continued to find ways to score in the second half when at the start of the third period, Abigal Christmas scored a low shove-shot putting the hawks up into double figures 10-1. Lucy Mawn added the Hawks eleventh goal at the seven-minute mark after making a good cut inside the net.
• McIlroy then scored at the five-thirty mark, netting her second goal of the game making it 11-2. However, it was once again short lived as at the four-minute mark McDermod once again scored, notching her game high fourth goal of the game, extending the lead further, 12-2. Then almost two minutes later, Balboni scored her second goal of the game, extending the Hawk lead even more.
• Then at the ten-minute mark in the fourth period, Caitlin Walsh capitalized on a short shot chance and cashed it in for the Hawks making it 14-2. Mawn added another goal for the Hawks and her second goal on the free position shot chance. Lily Shea then scored the Hawks sixteenth goal at the five-minute mark.
• With a minute-twenty-five left, Devan Spinale scored on the free position shot, making it 17-2.
• Then in the dying moments, Olivia Robb (East Longmeadow, Mass.) found a gap in the Hawks defense and stormed her way to goal and netted the Ravens third goal of the game, securing the final of 17-3.

BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS:

• The Hawks outshot the Ravens 34-18.
• Katherine Hickey (Farmingdale, NY) made six saves on 19 shots. Olivia Godwin (Hanson, Mass.): 1 Save on 5 Shots.
• The Hawks had 24 ground balls while the Ravens had 18.
• The Hawks won 11 draw controls while the Ravens won 10. 

NEXT FOR THE RAVENS: The Ravens get a few days off before facing Felician on Sunday in their home opener. The game is in honor of Makenzie Minkler with a start time at 12 pm.