MANCHESTER, N.H. – The fourth-seeded Saint Anselm College women's soccer team is set to make its third consecutive Northeast 10 Championship semifinal appearance on Thursday, Nov. 5, traveling to face top-seeded and nationally ranked No. 5 Franklin Pierce University. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. as the Hawks and Ravens meet in a rematch of the 2025 NE10 Championship game.
Admission to the NE10 fall championships is $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and children. Thursday's contest will be streamed live on FloCollege.
Saint Anselm advanced to the semifinal round following a 2-1 victory over fifth-seeded Assumption University on Sunday afternoon at Melucci Field. The Hawks opened the scoring in the first half after freshman Bianca Maciel sent a ball into the box that was finished by junior Amarys Jimenez. Assumption responded midway through the second half to even the score at 1-1, but Saint Anselm regained the advantage when junior Kate Crowley found Jimenez on the outside. Jimenez delivered a cross into the box, where sophomore Madison Botta headed home the game-winning goal to secure the Hawks' spot in the semifinals.
The Hawks are making their third consecutive appearance in the NE10 Semifinals after falling to Franklin Pierce, 2-0, in the 2024 semifinal round before advancing to the championship game in 2025. Last season, Saint Anselm and Franklin Pierce battled to a 1-1 draw through regulation and overtime in the conference title match, with the Hawks ultimately claiming the championship following a 4-3 penalty shootout. The title marked Saint Anselm's first NE10 Championship since 1991.
Saint Anselm enters Thursday's matchup following six All-Conference selections announced by the league on Wednesday. Senior defender Hailee Pickles highlighted the Hawks' honorees with First Team recognition, while junior midfielder Meghan Deneen and junior defender Kaitlyn LeBrun earned Second Team honors. Botta received Third Team recognition, while Maciel and Samantha Roux were named to the All-Rookie Team.
Franklin Pierce (13-2-2, 7-0-2 NE10) enters the semifinal round as the tournament's No. 1 seed after completing conference play without a loss. The Ravens are ranked fifth nationally in the latest United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25 Poll and have remained unbeaten since Aug. 29, with their only two losses coming against Florida Tech and Lee University during their early-season trip to Florida.
The Ravens were also recognized in the NE10 postseason awards, highlighted by Aino Martikainen, who was named Defensive Player of the Year, and goalkeeper Jess LaCroix, who earned Goalkeeper of the Year honors. Head coach Matt Johnson was selected as the league's Coach of the Year following Franklin Pierce's undefeated conference campaign.
Thursday's contest marks the second meeting between the programs this season, following a 1-0 victory for Franklin Pierce on Oct. 3. The Ravens hold a 36-7-5 advantage in the all-time series, with the Hawks seeking their first victory in regulation over Franklin Pierce since the 2024 season.
The winner of Thursday's semifinal will advance to the NE10 Championship game, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 8, against the winner of the other semifinal matchup between second-seeded Bentley University and third-seeded Saint Michael's College.
For the latest on
Saint Anselm College Athletics, follow the Hawks on social media on
X,
Instagram, and
Facebook. Be sure to catch all of the
Saint Anselm Athletics action by subscribing to FloCollege.
