Framingham State Outlasts Fitchburg State, 5-4

Hayward and Jamieson tally two scores apiece in MASCAC loss

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (October 22, 2011) – The Fitchburg State women's soccer team registered four goals on the afternoon but fell to host, Framingham State University, 5-4 in MASCAC action  at Maple Street Field.

Freshman Isabela DeSouza (Framingham, Mass.) tallied a pair of goals and picked up two assists to lead the Rams to their eighth victory of the season and a 3-2-1 mark in the MASCAC. The setback marks the second straight MASCAC loss for the first place Falcons as they sit on 10-3-2 on the season and 4-2 in the conference.

In a high scoring first half, the Rams took a 1-0 lead in the 7th minute as sophomore Marissa D'Angelo (Whitman, Mass.) took a thru ball from DeSouza and beat the Falcon keeper with a well-place shot inside the far post.

Framingham's lead would be short lived as Fitchburg State answered with a goal at 14:01.  Sophomore Rebecca Spiro (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) sent the ball ahead to classmate Rachel Jamieson (Foxboro, Mass./Jamieson) and Jamieson found the back of the net, tying the game at 1-1.

Three minutes later the Rams staked themselves a 2-1 lead DeSouza one timed a corner kick into the net, but the Falcons once again answered with a goal in the 22nd minute tying the score at 2-2 on a Katie Hayward (Townsend, Mass./North Middlesex) score. Fitchburg State then took its first lead of the game (3-2) in the 30th minute as Jamieson blasted a shot in the top corner for her second tally of the game.

The Rams responded with three goals over the next ten minutes to take a 5-3 lead.  DeSouza added her second of the game in the 32nd minute, while Marisa Parent (Revere, Mass.) knocked home the fourth goal of the game of a DeSouza rebound. Austin capped the Rams first half scoring, gaining a feed from DeSouza for the two goal lead.

Fitchburg State cut the deficit back to one in the 42nd minute when it was awarded a penalty kick after being taken down in the box. Hayward placed the attempt past the Rams diving keeper sending the game to the half with a Rams 5-4 advantage.

After a high scoring first half, the Rams were able to hold off all of the Falcon advances as they were outshot 13-7 in the second half by the visitors to pick up the key victory. The Rams outshot the Falcons 27-22 in the game with the Falcons holding an 8-5 edge in corner kicks.

Freshman McKenzie Vershon (Chicopee, Mass.) picked up the win in net for the Rams making eight saves, while sophomore Jillian Kirouac (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) surrendered four goals for the Falcons while making 11 saves and Kelsey Ford (Franconia, NY) allowed one goal with an assist.

Fitchburg State (10-3-2, 4-2-0 MASCAC) will be back in action on Tuesday as it hosts Smith College at 7 p.m. The Falcons will be hosting its first annual "Think Pink" night as Fitchburg State joins the American Cancer Society in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.