MANCHESTER, N.H. - Junior
Josie Pecor (Williston, Vt.) scored the game-winning goal in the 79th minute off a feed over the top from fifth year captain
Kathryn White (Georgetown, Mass) to secure a 1-0 victory for the regionally-ranked No. 6 Saint Anselm College Women's soccer team over nationally-ranked No. 20 Franklin Pierce University on Tuesday.
UP NEXT:
- Saint Anselm is off this weekend before hitting the road next Wednesday, September 27th when they travel to Saint Michael's College for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff in Colchester, Vermont.
- The Hawks are home again next weekend on Saturday, September 30th when the University of New Haven comes to Melucci Field for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.
Score: Saint Anselm 1, No. 20 Franklin Pierce 0
Records: Saint Anselm (3-1-3); Franklin Pierce (1-2-2)
Location: Manchester, N.H. (Melucci Field)
Date: Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Attendance: 107
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- There was no shortage of chances for both sides despite a scoreless first half. Franklin Pierce opened the game with a great opportunity five minutes in when Hailey Goodman drove down the right flank and into the box for the Ravens. Her shot got past Saint Anselm freshman goalkeeper Maggie Warner (Saugus, Mass.), but hit the left woodwork before going out for a corner-kick. Warner made her first stop of the match after Pinja Eklund put a shot on target following the Ravens' corner.
- The Hawks quickly responded in the eighth minute when junior Riley DiGilio (Danvers, Mass.) cut into her left foot and fired a shot from well outside the box that forced a leaping save from Ravens goalkeeper Emilie Fox. The follow-up corner-kick for Saint Anselm resulted in junior Erin Rutherford (Ashburnham, Mass.) also taking a left-footed shot and forcing a diving save from Fox.
- In the 24th minute, Saint Anselm fifth year captain Kathryn White (Georgetown, Mass.) took a direct free-kick from the top of the box. Her strike, however, was right down the middle and made for a comfortable save from Fox, who tallied four stops in the first half.
- A minute later, White floated another set-piece into the box that found senior Delaney Glode (Kennebunkport, Maine) on the back post. Glode headed the ball back across to Rutherford on the near post, but her lunging left-footed effort was high and wide.
- In the second half with 25 minutes remaining, the Ravens failed to clear a loose ball from their defensive area. The ball rolled out to freshman Caitlin Cormican (Quincy, Mass.), who let off a shot from over 30 yards away that was corralled by Fox.
- With under 20 minutes left, Saint Anselm sophomore Zarina Pinto (Groveland, Mass.) curled in a left-footed cross that found junior Sydney Wnek (Haverhill, Mass.) alone on the back post. Wnek settled the ball on her left foot before cutting it onto her right, but her shot from on top of the six-yard box was blocked by a closing defender.
- In the 75th minute, the Ravens got their best look of the game when Claudia Peirce made a dangerous run down the right wing. The Franklin Pierce attacker cut back to her left foot and chipped a shot from the side of the box that sailed over Warner and bounced off the cross-bar before going out for a corner-kick.
- With a little over 10 minutes to play, the Ravens attempted to serve a cross into Saint Anselm's box, but a charging White came out and skied forward a clearance that found junior Josie Pecor (Williston, Vt.) in a one-on-one race to goal with Franklin Pierce defender Roos Monsma. Pecor shouldered Monsma away from the ball and set up a breakaway chance that she tucked into the bottom right corner of the net past Fox to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead.
- Franklin Pierce had several shots in the final 10 minutes that forced two more saves out of Warner, but Saint Anselm held on for their third straight win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Saint Anselm outshot Franklin Pierce 16-11 in the game, while also holding a 9-4 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Ravens had six corner-kicks in the match, while the Hawks had four.
- Warner recorded four saves in goal for the Hawks, while Fox tallied eight saves in goal for the Ravens.
- Pecor scored her third goal of the season for Saint Anselm, and has now scored each of the Hawks' last three markers.
- White recorded her first assist of the season for the Hawks, while Warner earned her third career shutout.
- This marked the 26th all-time meeting between these programs and just the fourth-ever win for Saint Anselm over Franklin Pierce, their first at home since 2012.
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