Franklin Pierce 
Defensive Duo Collect
ESPN The Magazine 
District I Academic 
All-America Honors
Petropanagos selected to College Division first team, Vitulano voted to second team

RINDGE, N.H. (November 16, 2005) – Two members of the No. 15-ranked Franklin Pierce men’s soccer team have earned ESPN The Magazine District I Academic All-America honors as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) members throughout the Northeast.            

Junior back Peter Petropanagos (Mississauga, Ontario/York University) was named to the Academic All-District first team, while sophomore back Michel Vitulano (Montreal, Quebec/College de Maisonneuve) was selected to the College Division second team. The Academic All-District College Division teams are comprised of NCAA Division II and III student-athletes from New England and New York. Petropanagos is now eligible for Academic All-America honors as voted on by CoSIDA’s Academic All-America committee.

            Petropanagos, a pre-med major at the College with a 3.75 cumulative grade point average, collects Academic All-District honors for the first time after also earning NE-10 All-Academic honors this fall. A Northeast-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll Bronze Scholar in 2004-05, Petropanagos is one of the top marking backs in the Conference, earning a spot on the All-Northeast-10 second team this fall.

            Petropanagos is a key member of a Ravens defensive unit that leads the NE-10 with 13 shutouts and is tied for the Conference lead with a 0.87 team goals against average. In 23 starts, he ranks third on the team with five assists.

            In 2004, he was a key part of a defense that posted a school-record and NCAA Division II-best 16 shutouts and a 0.65 team GAA (6^th nationally – tops in the NE-10), advancing to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament.            

Vitulano, also a first time Academic All-District selection, has earned a 3.54 GPA while majoring in computer information systems at the College. A two-year starter, Vitulano has overcome an injury which was originally thought to have cost him the season and returned to start each of the Ravens last 11 matches during their stretch run.

            Franklin Pierce is 8-1-2 since Vitulano’s return to the lineup at No. 14 Merrimack on October 11, yielding just 0.61 goals per match with seven shutouts in that time. He netted a goal in the Ravens 7-2 victory at College of Saint Rose on October 27.

            Vitulano split his time between midfield and defense as a freshman in 2004, helping a Franklin Pierce defensive unit that posted a school-record and NCAA Division II-best 16 shutouts and a 0.65 goals against average (6^th nationally – tops in the NE-10). He also registered a goal (match-winner) and assist for three points in 24 matches, 19 starts.

            Franklin Pierce (15-4-4) has captured its second-straight NCAA Division II New England Regional title after claiming a 1-0 overtime victory over top-seeded and No. 7-ranked Dominican College on Saturday night. The Ravens will host No. 12 New York Institute of Technology (14-3-4) in an NCAA quarterfinal match on Saturday at 7 p.m. Franklin Pierce looks for its second final four berth and first since 1991. The Ravens captured the NE-10 regular season championship with a 10-1-2 mark.