#4 Franklin Pierce Named
Ravens earn fifth-straight
RINDGE, N.H. (November 5, 2007) – The Franklin Pierce University men’s soccer team, ranked fourth in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, has been named the top seed and host of the 2007 NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Tournament’s New England Regional.
The top four teams in the New England Region will converge on Franklin Pierce’s Sodexho Field for semifinal matches on Thursday, November 8, with the regional final to be played on Saturday, November 10, at 7 p.m. Along with top-seeded Franklin Pierce (13-2-3, 11-0-2 NE-10), the field consists of second-seeded Southern Connecticut State University (14-2-4, 9-1-3 NE-10), third-seeded University of Massachusetts Lowell (12-3-3, 10-2-1 NE-10) and fourth-seeded Le Moyne College (14-3-2, 9-2-2 NE-10). The complete match schedule is at the end of this release.
Admission for each session will be $7 for adults, $4 for senior citizens and students with ID and $2 for children under 12. All matches will be broadcast live on WFPU-LP 105.3 FM and simulcast via the internet via www.franklinpierce/edu/athletics.
Franklin Pierce, winners of a program-record three-straight Northeast-10 regular season championships, makes its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance (13th overall) and serve as host of the New England Regional for the third-straight year. The Ravens captured back-to-back New England regional titles in 2004 & 2005 and were edged out by rivals Southern Connecticut, 2-1, on a goal with 20-seconds to play in last year’s regional final.
Franklin Pierce is led by the two-pronged offensive attack of grad student David Clifton (London, England), the Northeast-10 Player of the Year, and sophomore Henning Comé (Göteborg, Sweden), a second team All-NE-10 pick, the top two scorers in the Conference this season. Clifton leads the way with 35 points and 16 goals to go with three assists, while Comé has added 34 points and 15 goals with four assists. The Ravens are averaging a Conference-best 2.61 goals per match this season.
Franklin Pierce also boasts the No. 2-ranked defense in the NE-10 with a 0.69 team goals against average and nine shutouts. The Ravens are anchored by senior All-Americans James Thorpe (East Longmeadow, Mass./Bridgton Academy), the first four-time NE-10 Goalkeeper of the Year in Conference history, and Bisharra Ettienne (East Elmhurst, N.Y./Dominica State College), the two-time NE-10 Defensive Player of the Year. Thorpe leads the NE-10 with nine shutouts to go with a 0.69 GAA (2nd NE-10) and .764 save percentage (7th).
Southern Connecticut, ranked 21st in the most recent NSCAA/adidas Division II poll, is fresh off its first Northeast-10 Tournament Championship. The Owls, winners of an NCAA Division II record six NCAA Division II titles, are making their second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 28th overall in program history.
Southern Connecticut is led by junior back Ancil Farrier (Los Bajos, Trinidad), the NE-10 Tournament MVP, and senior forward Colin Jackson (Hartford, Conn./Manchester CC), the 2005 NE-10 Player of the Year. Farrier leads the Owls with 20 points and eight points to go with four assists and is the anchor of a defensive unit which ranks fourth in the NE-10 with a 0.86 team GAA and eight shutouts. Jackson has also netted a team-best eight goals to go with three assists for 19 points. Senior goalkeeper Brendan Lawless (Orleans, Mass./Nauset) leads the NE-10 with a 0.61 GAA to go with seven shutouts (3rd NE-10) and a .792 save percentage (4th).
UMass Lowell, ranked 12th in last week’s NSCAA/adidas Division II poll, makes its third NCAA Tournament appearance in program history after a second-place finish in the Northeast-10 during the regular season. The River Hawks, winners of the New England Regional title in 2003, lead the NE-10 in defense (0.64 team GAA) and rank second in scoring (2.44 g/match).
UMass Lowell is led by senior forward Matt Dubois (Dracut, Mass./IMG Academy) and junior midfielder Matias Pietropinto (Leominster, Mass./Worcester Academy) on the attacking end. Dubois leads the River Hawks with 25 points and 12 goals to go with an assist and has netted a Conference-best eight match-winning goals. Pietropinto leads the NE-10 with 12 assists to go with four goals for 20 points. Sophomore Ryan Richards (Holden, Mass./Wachusett) has established himself as one of the top goalkeepers in the Conference with a 0.69 GAA (2nd NE-10) and .778 SV% (5th) to go with six shutouts (4th).
Le Moyne makes its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance, second in three years, in program history. The Dolphins finished fourth in the NE-10 this fall and are averaging 1.84 goals per match (5th NE-10), while posting a 1.02 team GAA (6th) with eight shutouts (4th).
Le Moyne is led by NE-10 Freshman of the Year Angelo Reina (Frankfurt, N.Y./Frankfurt) with eight goals (7th NE-10) and three assists for 19 points (9th). Senior Steve Blackwell (Oswego, N.Y./Oswego) has contributed six goals and three assists for 15 points. Junior goalkeeper Steve White (Cortland, N.Y./Cortland) has started all 18 matches in goal for the Dolphins and posted a 1.03 GAA (6th) and .803 save percentage (2nd) with six shutouts (4th).
The winner of this weekend’s New England Region will advance to the National Quarterfinal round to face the winner of this weekend’s Northeast Regional, hosted by East Stroudsburg (Pa.) University, on November 17 or 18. The Division II Final Four, hosted by the University of West Florida, will be played November 30 and December 2 in Orange Beach, Ala.
2007 NCAA Division II New England Regional hosted by Franklin Pierce University Rindge, N.H. – Sodexho Field
Thursday, November 8 #3 University of Massachusetts Lowell (12-3-3) vs. #2 Southern Connecticut State Univ. (14-2-4), 4 p.m. #4 Le Moyne College (14-3-2) at #1 Franklin Pierce University (13-2-3), 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 10
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m. |
