New Haven vs. Franklin Pierce
Saturday, Oct. 12 – 1 p.m.
West Haven, Conn. – Kayo Field
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After a return to its winning ways on Tuesday at SCSU, the University of New Haven women's soccer team looks to maintain its position near the top of the Northeast-10 standings against visiting Franklin Pierce. The Chargers enter the weekend with a record of 6-2-3 overall and 4-2-2 in NE-10 play.
 
Most recently, New Haven claimed a 2-1 victory at its crosstown rival on an 88th-minute goal by Monica Yanez (West Haven, Conn./West Haven). Earlier in the match, Amber Simms (Southport, England/Southport) started the scoring with a penalty kick in the 13th minute. The win was the first for fourth-year head coach Laura Duncan over the rival Owls (1-2-1).
 
On the season, Simms leads the Northeast-10 with 10 goals and shares the conference best of 24 points. Yanez is right behind her with nine markers and 21 points, positioning the Chargers' starting forwards as the highest-scoring duo in terms of both goals and points in the NE-10.
 
Simms is the 10th different Charger (19th occurrence) to net 10 or more goals in a season and has entered into the top-20 in UNH history in single-season points.
 
For their careers, Yanez now stands at fifth all-time in both goals (26) and points (62) and moved into a tie for fourth place in program history with her eighth-career game-winning goal. Simms ranks 12th in goals (18) and 14th in points (44) through her two-plus seasons as a Charger.
 
Moriah Saidel (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) made two saves in goal on Tuesday to record her first win of the fall. Saidel and Natasha Purchla (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot) have both appeared in net for the Chargers, combining for a 1.27 goals-against average and .795 save percentage.
 
Coming off of a 2-0 home win over Saint Michael's on Tuesday, Franklin Pierce stands at 4-4-2 on the season with a 3-3-2 Northeast-10 mark. The Ravens got two goals from Madison Finlay and an eight-save clean sheet out of goalkeeper Katie Weldon to dispatch the Purple Knights.
 
Finlay's pair of markers moved her atop the Franklin Pierce statsheet with eight points. She is also tied with Nicole Chaet with a team-leading three goals apiece. Weldon has played all 953:57 in goal for the Ravens, posting a 0.94 goals-against average with three shutouts.
 
New Haven and Franklin Pierce have both played to a 1-1 draw with Assumption and logged 2-1 wins over Southern Connecticut State. The Chargers have also defeated Bentley, tied Stonehill and lost to Merrimack, while the Ravens notched a draw with the Falcons, a loss to the Skyhawks and win over the Warriors.
 
Last season's meeting between the Chargers and Ravens –played in Rindge on Oct. 6, 2012 – appeared bounded for overtime until Franklin Pierce converted a penalty kick (after an inadvertent handball) at 89:54 to escape with a 3-2 win. Amanda Hathaway (Stillwater, N.Y./Stillwater) and Lucy Francisco '13 accounted for the Chargers' two goals.
 
Following this Saturday's contest, the Chargers will hit the road to meet Adelphi on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 4:30 p.m. and then make their longest trip of the season to challenge Saint Michael's on Saturday, Oct. 19 for a 1 p.m. outing. Action comes to Kayo Field for the final time in 2013 regular season with a 4 p.m. visit from Pace on Tuesday, Oct. 22.