GARDEN, N.Y. (October 12, 2022) -- It was largely a quiet contest on the road on Wednesday afternoon, as an early red card forced No. 19 nationally-ranked Adelphi into a defensive approach for much of the proceedings against the Franklin Pierce University women's soccer team. The Ravens maintained pressure throughout the second half, to the tune of a 13-5 advantage in shot attempts, and were eventually rewarded in the closing minutes. With just 2:54 to go, junior Aino Martikainen (Järvenpää, Finland) found junior Gianna Derose (Brewster, N.Y.) for the only goal of the game, in a 1-0 Franklin Pierce win at Motamed Field.

With the win in the Northeast-10 Conference contest, Franklin Pierce improves to 10-2-1 (7-2-0 NE10), has won four in a row, and has usurped first place in the NE10 from the homestanding Panthers. Meanwhile, Adelphi suffers its first league loss of the season and falls to 8-3-1 (6-1-1 NE10).

Though no goals came until late, the action kicked off in just the 12^th minute, after Derose used her speed to beat Adelphi junior Morgan Salmon around the outside, on the left wing, in the final third of the field. Clearly beaten, but unwilling to concede the potential breakaway, Salmon elected to reach out and haul Derose down by the back of her shirt. The result of the dangerous play was a straight red card from referee Michael Andreaccio, which left Adelphi down a player for the rest of the afternoon.

The Panthers were forced to play a more defensive game from there. In fact, the first half saw only three combined shot attempts, 2-1 in favor of Franklin Pierce. The Ravens turned up the heat in the second half, where they uncorked 11 shots, including eight on the Adelphi goal. It was their final shot attempt of the day which finally paid off.

In transition in the 88^th minute, Martikainen wound up heading a rush with two of her teammates, with only one defender left between the trio and the goal. From outside the top of the penalty area, she played the ball ahead and to her right, leading Derose deep into the box. It was all Derose could do to get on the other end of it, as she slid to get her foot to the ball for a shot from eight yards out. The shot found the target though, with the ball sailing into the upper reaches of the net for her second goal of the season.

Adelphi would muster one final shot attempt in response, off a corner kick moments later, but the attempt from sophomore Jessica Schmitt sailed wide and Franklin Pierce finished off the 1-0 victory.

Sophomore Emilie Fox (Bridgewater, Mass.) stopped all three shots on her goal to pick up the win (6-1-1) and her second shutout of the season. Graduate student Lydia Fraga Cordoba (0-1-0) stopped eight of nine shots in defeat for Adelphi.

The Ravens return home on Saturday, Oct. 15, for their final home game of the regular season, against Saint Michael's. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Sodexo Field in Rindge, and the Ravens will honor their four-player senior class prior to the start of the contest.