Rindge, N.H. (April 15, 2003)-Franklin Pierce christened the Rindge campus into the world of collegiate lacrosse with a 14-12 victory over in-state rival Saint Anselm College in Northeast-10 Conference women’s lacrosse action this afternoon.

The match was the first collegiate lacrosse match (men’s or women’s) ever played at the Rindge campus as both Franklin Pierce programs had used the Winchendon School as its home for the first seven years of existence.

The Ravens picked up a program-record third Conference victory of the season, surpassing the previous best set last spring. Freshmen Courtney Boardman (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) and Alissa Silverman (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) led the Franklin Pierce attack yet again as each totaled seven points on the afternoon. Boardman tallied six goals and an assist, while Silverman added five markers and dished a season-best two assists.

While the freshman duo provided the bulk of the offense, junior goalkeeper Ashley Simpson (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) set a program record for the second-straight match as she preserved the win with 32 saves. She surpassed her previous program mark of 25 stops set in Sunday’s game at Bryant College.

Junior Shalon King (Phippsburg, Maine/Morse) added four points with a goal and three assists. Sophomore April Demers (Gorham, N.H./Gorham) netted the first two goals of her career, while freshman Kara LaSalle (Gilford, N.H./Gilford) dished two assists for the first points of her career.

Senior Katelynn O’Connell (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) led Saint Anselm with five goals, while freshmen Kristen Conlon (Milton, Mass./Milton) and Jacquelyn Trayers (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) each netted a pair.

Junior Karen Spellman (Woburn, Mass./Arlington Catholic) posted 26 saves in net for the Hawks.

Franklin Pierce led 8-4 at the break with Silverman netting four markers and Boardman three. The Ravens opened the second half scoring just 2:31 in with Demers first goal of the season.

Saint Anselm answered with three goals, two from O’Connell, to cut its deficit to 8-7 with 19:33 left in regulation. After the teams swapped goals again, Franklin Pierce reeled off the next four markers, two from Boardman, to open a 14-8 lead with just 5:32 left to play to seal the victory.

Franklin Pierce (3-6, 3-3 NE-10) next hosts Bentley College on Thursday at 4 p.m. Saint Anselm College (1-7, 0-5 NE-10) visits the University of New Haven on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.