#16 Franklin Pierce Set to Clash With #2 Seattle Pacific

Ravens ready for record 14th Final Four appearance on Thursday,
looking to reach record seventh National Final

RINDGE, N.H. (November 27, 2007) – While it may be the lowest ranked participant, according to the National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, among the final four teams at the NCAA Division II National Championships, the 16th-ranked Franklin Pierce University women’s soccer team is also undeniably the field’s most decorated.

Franklin Pierce (17-1-5, 9-1-4 NE-10), seeded third in the New England Region, will face its sternest test of the season when it battles No. 2-ranked and undefeated Seattle Pacific University (23-0-0, 14-0-0 GNAC), the top-seed from the Far West Region, in the second of two NCAA Division II National Semifinals, hosted by the University of West Florida and the City of Orange Beach, Ala., at the Orange Beach Sportsplex on Thursday at 6 p.m. (EST).

 Franklin Pierce’s women are joined at the Division II Championships by the Ravens men’s team for the second time in three seasons. The men are making their third Final Four appearance in program history and second in three years after reaching the National Final in 2005.

Admission this weekend is $5 for adults and $3 for students with ID, with all-session passes (including the three NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Tournament matches) available for $20 for adults and $10 for students with ID. All Franklin Pierce matches will be broadcast live on WFPU-LP 105.3 FM and simulcast via the Franklin Pierce athletics website at www.franklinpierce.edu/athletics. Saturday’s National Championship match will also be televised live on College Sports Television (CSTV) at 1 p.m. (EST).

Franklin Pierce enters its NCAA Division II record 14th Final Four (in 16 NCAA Tournament appearances over 16 seasons), after a one year absence, and seeks its Division II record seventh appearance in the Championship match. The Ravens are winners of a Division II record five National Championships, winning a record four-straight from 1994-97 and a fifth in ’99, and last reached the final in 2003 – falling to Kennesaw State University (2-0). The other three Final Four participants are making just their second Final Four appearances.

2003 was also the last time Franklin Pierce faced a Far West region champion, as the Ravens topped UC San Diego, 2-1, in overtime in the semifinals in Virginia Beach, Va. Thursday will mark the first ever meeting between Franklin Pierce and Seattle Pacific. The Ravens are 6-3-0 all-time against teams from the Far West region – all of which have come against California-based programs.

Franklin Pierce is unquestionably playing its best soccer of the season heading into Thursday’s match. The Ravens have yet to concede a goal in six postseason matches (560 minutes), including their four NCAA Tournament contests (360 minutes). The Ravens are also averaging 2.5 goals per match in the NCAA Tournament. Franklin Pierce ranks eighth nationally this season with a 0.50 team goals against average and sixth with 15 shutouts, while the Ravens 2.96 goals per game this season ranks 14th nationally.

Franklin Pierce is unbeaten in seven matches this season (5-0-2) against nationally-ranked opposition, conceding just one goal in 670 minutes (0.13 GAA) in those contests, while scoring two goals per match. Senior All-American Gabriela Demoner (Curitiba, Brazil) has posted a team-best five goals and three assists for 13 points against ranked opponents, while senior Jenna Giardina (Pittsfield, Mass./Taconic) has added three goals (two match-winners) and three assists for nine points.

Franklin Pierce’s defensive unit is anchored by sophomore Rachel Smith (Chichester, N.H./Bible Baptist School (Pa.)), a Daktronics All-New England and All-Northeast-10 selection this fall, and freshman Kelly Weygand (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham), a second team All-Region pick, who are both in their first collegiate seasons as defenders. Smith played forward as a freshman for the Ravens in 2006 and Weygand is a true freshman. The duo have also contributed on the offensive side as well, with Smith posting four goals and two assists for ten points to lead all Raven defenders, while Weygand has chipped in a goal and five assists (three in the NCAA’s) for seven points.

Junior goalkeeper Brittany Ester (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) is the backbone of the Franklin Pierce defense and carries a scoreless minute streak of 588:11 into Thursday match dating back to the 62nd minute of the Ravens 5-2 victory over Southern Connecticut State University in their regular season finale. She ranks sixth nationally with her 0.44 goals against average (good for fourth best in a single-season in program history) and .879 save percentage, while her 11 shutouts (4th-best in program history) lead the Northeast-10 Conference. Ester is unbeaten so far this fall with a 13-0-4 mark.

While the defense has certainly been the lynchpin of Franklin Pierce’s NCAA Tournament run so far, the efforts of Demoner can not be overlooked either. The Daktronics New England Region and NE-10 Player of the Year ranks fourth nationally with 68 points, seventh with 28 goals and 31st with 12 assists this season. Her point total leads the NE-10 by 35 and her goal total has eclipsed the rest of the Conference by 13. Demoner leads Franklin Pierce with 14 points and six goals to go with two assists in the postseason – including a team-best 11 points and five goals to go with an assist in the NCAA Tournament so far.

Giardina, an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District, All-NE-10 and Daktronics All-Region selection this season, has stepped up in postseason play for Franklin Pierce to compliment Demoner. She shares the team lead with 12 assists this fall (31st nationally) to go with eight goals (NE-10 best five match-winners) for 28 points. In the Ravens six postseason matches, Giardina has totaled three goals (all match-winners) and two assists for eight points – including two goals and two assists for six points in the NCAA Tournament.

Seattle Pacific is making its second Final Four appearance in just the seventh year of the program’s existence. The Falcons reached the final in 2005, falling to the University of Nebraska-Omaha 2-1 in overtime. They rank fifth nationally with a 0.43 team goals against average and their 15 shutouts match Franklin Pierce’s total and rank sixth. Seattle Pacific’s 2.65 goals per match are good for 18th nationally.

While Franklin Pierce was on the road for its run to the Final Four, Seattle Pacific hosted throughout the first three rounds – capped by a 4-0 triumph over No. 4 Incarnate Word (Texas) in the quarterfinals. The Falcons have cruised through its three NCAA Tournament matches, outscoring the opposition 9-0 – joining Franklin Pierce as the only teams in the final four yet to concede a goal in the Tournament.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jesslyn Rahm (Eugene, Ore./South Eugene) ranks fourth nationally with her 0.38 goals against average to go with a .818 save percentage and 11 shutouts. Junior back Claire Grubbs (Sterling, Va./Potomac Falls) anchors a Seattle Pacific defensive unit which has yielded just one goal over its last six matches and two in its last 11.

Senior forward Sarah Martinez (Bothell, Wash./Cedar Park Christian), the Daktronics Far West Region Player of the Year, leads Seattle Pacific with 43 points and 17 goals (seven match-winners) to go with nine assists. Junior Meredith Teague (Redmond, Wash./Bellevue Christian) has dished a team-best 16 assists to go with seven goals for 30 points, while classmate Shannon Oakes (Boise, Idaho/Boise) has collected six goals (three match-winners) and ten assists for 20 points.

The winner of Thursday’s match will the winner of Thursday’s first semifinal between top-ranked Grand Valley State (Mich.) University (21-0-1) and No. 14 University of Tampa (18-2-2) for the National Championship on Saturday at 1 p.m. (EST).