Nov. 23, 2003

Box Score

Rindge, N.H. - Franklin Pierce scored two goals and Adelphi could only muster one as Franklin Pierce topped Adelphi 2-1. The Panthers did everything but score in their quarterfinal match-up, including save a penalty kick. With the loss Adelphi finishes a record setting season 18-2-1, while Franklin Pierce improves to 21-2 and will travel to Virginia Beach to compete in their 12th consecutive final four.

The first half opened at a pedestrian pace as Adelphi and Franklin Pierce took the first five minutes to feel each other out. Franklin Pierce went on the attack first and had a brilliant opportunity in the 37th minute. Colleen Callahan (Marshfield, Mass.) took the ball down the right flank and played it in to the Panther box for Meghan Welcome (Haverhill, Mass.). Andrea Fasano (Syosset, N.Y.) came out to meet Welcome and made the first save. Welcome picked up her own rebound but sent an off balance shot at the Adelphi goal. Dina Cali (Valley Stream, N.Y.) saved a goal when she made the stop on the goal line.

In the 17th minute the Ravens had another golden chance as Laura Hislop (Belfast, Northern Ireland) earned a corner for Franklin Pierce. Sonya Hughes (Balbriggan, Ireland) sent the corner to the near post where Alex Scavo (Markham, Ontario) flicked the ball toward the Panther goal. The ball was out of Fasano's reach but struck the cross bar and was immediately cleared by the Adelphi defense.

In the 11th minute Adelphi finally got their chance and made it count as Luciana Pace (Bellmore, N.Y.) sent the ball over the Franklin Pierce defense. Josephine Coiro (West Babylon, N.Y.) slipped behind the Raven defense and chipped the ball over an out of position Aase Kibsgaard (Korgen, Norway) to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.

The Ravens immediately put the pressure on and in the seventh minute Hislop struck a shot that was blocked by Cali. Hughes collected the deflection and sent the ball toward the Panther goal. Hughes's shot was out of Fasano's reach and fell in to the top right corner of the net to knot the game at one.

Franklin Pierce came out of halftime and put tremendous pressure on Adelphi. In the first ten minutes the Ravens had a free kick from 23 yards out that they put over the bar and Hislop hit the cross bar. But Franklin Pierce's break came in the 18th minute when Hislop crossed a ball to Welcome. Fasano made the save on Welcome's first shot, and on the rebound Welcome hit the post but third time was the charm as Welcome snuck the ball past Fasano and an Adelphi defender to give Franklin Pierce a 2-1 lead.

Just minutes later Hislop was moving the ball into the Panther box when the referee called a foul on Josefa Pace (Bellmore, N.Y.) and awarded a penalty kick to Franklin Pierce. Mia Makarainen (Espoo, Finland) took the penalty kick for the Ravens. Makarainen struck the ball toward the left side of the Panther goal, but Fasano was there to make the stop and keep Adelphi in the game.

The Panthers rallied late and put Franklin Pierce back on their heels in the last five minutes. But the Ravens held up under the pressure sending Hislop to the corner where she was able to hold the ball and run some time off the clock giving Franklin Pierce the win and a chance to compete for their sixth NCAA title. Fasano finished with nine saves while Kibsgaard collected three.

When asked for his thoughts on the game Head Coach is Ilsley said, "It was good to get the first goal, but we knew we were in a battle the whole way. They are a good team and we just could not get it done."