COLCHESTER, Vt. - Junior Cassie Crockett's (Gilmanton, N.H./Gilford) goal with 5:23 remaining broke a deadlock and helped the Saint Michael's College women's soccer team surprise regional heavyweight Franklin Pierce University, 2-1, on Wednesday at Duffy Field in a Northeast-10 Conference contest.

The Purple Knights, who are now 3-2-1 against the Ravens since 2006, picked up their first home win against Franklin Pierce since 1991 while improving to 2-3 overall this fall and 1-2 in the league. The visitors, who are ranked sixth in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's (NSCAA) East regional poll and have qualified for the past 19 NCAA Tournaments, fell to 3-2 and 1-2.

Senior Kristin Hagenbarth (Killington, Vt./Woodstock Union/Vermont) scored a game-tying goal for Saint Michael's, while classmate Ashleigh Adams (Milton, Vt./Milton) made seven saves. The visitors held narrow edges of 12-11 in shots and 3-1 in corner kicks, as senior Amanda Panaro (Rockland, Mass./Rockland) provided their offense, while classmate Jocelyn Leon (Lenox, Mass./Lenox Memorial) had four stops. Each of the Purple Knights' goals came following the visitors losing a player late in the first half to a red card.

Crockett's winner came off an assist from senior Laura Ostrout (Northfield, Vt./Northfield), who possessed under defensive pressure just outside the penalty area in the 85th minute before abruptly cutting from her right to her left, and ultimately laying the ball off toward the left side for Crockett. The striker buried her marker into the left portion of the net, past a diving Leon. Franklin Pierce had one final opportunity during the 89th minute, but senior Aya Noguchi (Tokyo, Japan/Jumonji) pushed her shot high and just wide of the left post.

The Purple Knights trailed at the half before tying the game in the 51st minute. Sophomore Jordyn Mallett (Winslow, Maine/Winslow) sent a throw into the Raven penalty area for Hagenbarth, who collected the ball under defensive pressure before earning possession and slipping a shot into the lower left portion of the goal at 50:49.

Adams kept her team in the contest throughout the day, including being tested a little less than nine minutes into the game, falling to her left to stop Panaro near the post. Senior Katie Murphy (Woodbridge, Conn./Amity Regional) provided the Purple Knights with a pair of opportunities soon thereafter, sending a left-footed shot high in the 10th minute before her free kick in the 15th minute was lofted above the frame.

Adams made two additional stellar stops during the remainder of the opening stanza, including sliding out to deny sophomore Talita Pereira's (Sao Paulo, Brazil/University Sant'Anna) one-touch attempt on the run in the 19th minute. In the 30th minute, Panaro got her leg in the air to play a high pass, but the keeper batted the ball away with her arms extended. The Ravens broke through at 37:24, as Panaro found the lower left-hand corner from inside the eight-yard box, tapping in sophomore Gabriela Vieira's (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Martin Methodist) 35-yard free kick from the left sideline. Franklin Pierce sent only two more shots on net, with Adams stopping both.

The Purple Knights hit the road for their next two games, both against nationally-regarded squads. On Saturday at 1 p.m., Saint Michael's faces Southern Connecticut State University, which is receiving votes in this week's NSCAA national poll, before heading to 18th-ranked Merrimack College on Tuesday.