COLCHESTER, Vt. - The nationally-regarded Saint Michael's College women's soccer team handed fifth-ranked Franklin Pierce University, the Northeast 10 Conference leader, its first shutout since last year's NCAA Division II Tournament championship game during a scoreless draw on Tuesday evening at Duffy Field.
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The Purple Knights, who received votes toward this week's United Soccer Coaches national poll and were fourth in the East Region rankings, are tied for fourth in the league with two games remaining. The Ravens are not only fifth in the nation but first in the East. The league's top four teams host at least one postseason game.
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RECORDS
- Saint Michael's (7-2-4, 3-2-2 NE10), Franklin Pierce (11-2-2, 5-0-2 NE10)
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS
- Sophomore Chloe Laizer (West Springfield, Mass./West Springfield), 4 saves
OPPONENT LEADERS
- Sophomore Jessica LaCroix, 4 saves
GAME FACTS
- Laizer earned her 16th career shutout, tying Jennifer Kay '94 for second in program history. Only Trish Hannan '90 had more, recording 18 over four years.
- The Purple Knights, who were eliminated from the 2025 postseason by Franklin Pierce, took a point from a top-five team for the third time in five years, after beating No. 5 Adelphi University, 3-1, on Oct. 26, 2024, and also playing a scoreless draw with No. 2 The College of Saint Rose on Sept. 14, 2022.
- The Ravens extended their unbeaten streak to 13 games (11-0-2), having yielded just four goals in that run.
THE ACTION
- Franklin Pierce held an 11-4 advantage in first-half shots, with its most dangerous chance coming from the right corner of the box off of junior Mikayla Horton's foot in the 13th minute, forcing Laizer into a dive to her right.
- Junior Scarlett Brookes (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Knolls) had all three of the Purple Knights' shots on goal in the stanza, first redirecting sophomore Addie Becht's (Leesport, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) pass on net with her body in the 35th minute. Around the 36-minute mark, Brookes' shot from distance necessitated LaCroix jump to corral the ball.
- Laizer dove toward the left post to deny junior Inka Rajala's lefty bid in the 48th minute before Brookes took senior Bridget McLoughlin's (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) through ball for a breakaway in the 55th minute but missed just outside the right post.
- The Ravens had three more good looks in the 69th, 76th and 81st minutes, but each went off frame, with the last off the foot of graduate student Aino Martikainen drifting high on a free kick from the top of the box.
NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME
- Saturday vs. Southern Connecticut State University, 3 p.m.
- The Purple Knights host their Team IMPACT and Youth Soccer game that day.
