Women’s Soccer Defeats Saint Michael’s on Senior Day, 2-0
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saint Michael's (4-4-4, 2-4-3) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Franklin Pierce (11-2-1, 8-2-0) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
RINDGE, N.H. (October 15, 2022) -- The Franklin Pierce University women's soccer team was dominant throughout on its home field on Saturday afternoon, on the way to its fifth straight victory. The Ravens posted advantages of 11-2 in shot attempts and 7-1 in shots on goal, en route to a 2-0 win over Saint Michael's, on Senior Day at Sodexo Field. Junior Aino Martikainen (Järvenpää, Finland) struck for the game-winner in the 30th minute of the Northeast-10 Conference contest, while sophomore Eleonora Franco (Verona, Italy) followed up with an insurance marker in the 75th.
With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 11-2-1 (8-2-0 NE10), has won five straight for the first time since late in the 2018 campaign, and completes a perfect 7-0-0 regular season on its home turf. With the loss, Saint Michael's falls to 4-4-4 (2-4-3 NE10) and saw its three-game winning streak snapped.
The first half had a lot of back-and-forth action, as both sides struggled to get good opportunities. But in the 30th minute, a cross in the box from Franklin Pierce junior Gianna Derose (Brewster, N.Y.) hit off the hand of a Saint Michael's defender. Martikainen took the penalty kick and buried the shot to the right corner to open the scoring with her third goal of the year. The remainder of the first half was a stalemate as both teams had opportunities to score.
The second half was almost a repeat of the first, with both sides having issues controlling the ball over a very physical 45 minutes. In the 75th minute, junior Anna Crapanzano (Milano, Italy) passed the ball up to Franco, who used a quick burst of speed to get to her left and finish off her second of the year.
Sophomore Emilie Fox (Bridgewater, Mass.) got the start for the Ravens and made one save to record the win (7-1-1), as well as her third shutout of the season. Senior Katie Escobedo (4-4-4) faced seven shots on goal and made five saves for the Purple Knights.
The Ravens conclude the regular season with a three-game road trip, beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at New Haven, with a start time 4 p.m. in West Haven, Conn.
