Franklin women's soccer began the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference portion of its schedule on Saturday afternoon, traveling to face rival Hanover.

The Grizzlies kept the score tight for most of the day before a pair of late goals helped the Panthers seal up a 3-0 victory.

"We defended really well against a pretty high-powered offense," Franklin coach Jen Jackson said. "Made a couple of mistakes and got punished for it."

Hanover took the lead just over midway through the first half when Emma Gill found the back of the net. The Grizzlies (1-6-1, 0-1 HCAC) were outshot 6-0 in the first half but goalkeeper Emma Watson and her back line helped keep it a one-goal game.

Watson made three more saves over the first 30 minutes of the second half before the Panthers finally broke through for an insurance tally, getting a Kaleigh Schirmer goal with 10:05 remaining in the match. Gill netted her second goal of the day with 6:25 to go, sealing the Grizzlies' fate.

The home side finished with a 17-1 advantage in shots and an 11-2 edge in corners. Watson totaled five saves in defeat for Franklin, which got its lone shot from Madison Hill in the second half.

"We will learn from our mistakes and get stronger from this performance," Jackson said.

The Grizzlies start a three-game homestand on Wednesday (Oct. 1) when they host Asbury for their last nonconference match of the year.