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Purple Knights Take 3-2 Women's Soccer Victory

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Created on Friday, 23 September 2011 01:25

Written by George Commo

Davis Caps Hat Trick with 4:54 Remaining

Courtesy St. Michael's Sports Information

RINDGE, N.H. - Freshman Cassaundra Davis (Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport) finished off her hat trick by depositing the game-winner with 4:54 remaining, sending Saint Michael's College field hockey past Franklin Pierce University, 3-2, during a non-conference contest at Sodexo Field on Thursday. All of the game's scoring came in the second half.

The Purple Knights pushed their winning streak to two games in improving to 2-7, while the Ravens fell to 2-5. Davis became the first Saint Michael's player to tally three goals since Kaitlin Koffink '10 on Sept. 2, 2009. She now has four goals in the last two games, having played a role in all five of her team's markers in that time.

Senior Jackie Stacey (West Windsor, Vt./Woodstock Union) made 10 saves, while freshman Hannah Beardsley (Essex, Mass./Manchester Essex Regional) made a critical defensive save for the visitors, who were outshot, 20-15, and saw the hosts hold a 12-10 edge in penalty corners. Senior Tia Levins (Manchester, Maine/Maranacook) scored both goals for Franklin Pierce, while two keepers combined to make three saves.

Levins broke a scoreless stalemate 3:15 into the second period before Beardsley denied Levins of extending the Ravens' lead by recording her third defensive save of the season in the 41st minute. Fewer than five minutes later, Davis deflected home senior Taylor Wahrenbrock's (Chapel Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill) drive from the top of the circle, knotting the contest at 45:21.

Levins put her team back in front in the 56th minute before Davis capped her standout offensive day. Forty-two seconds after Franklin Pierce took the lead, Davis pounced on a rebound, making it 2-2 at 56:09, and she netted the winner at 65:06 off a scramble out front. With the Ravens pushing for a tie, Stacey stopped a pair of 69th-minute shots before turning aside another attempt with less than 40 seconds to go after the hosts had pulled their keeper in favor of having an 11-on-10 advantage in field players. Levins grabbed the rebound but pushed an ensuing shot wide.

As part of Homecoming Weekend, the Purple Knights host Stonehill College on Saturday at 11 a.m.