NE-10 TOURNAMENT 
SEMIFINAL
Top-seeded Franklin Pierce 
Advances to Championship 
in Shootout
Ravens comeback twice in 2-2 draw with fifth-seeded UMass Lowell, reach title match for second-straight year, 5-4 in penalty shootout

RINDGE, N.H. (November 2, 2005) – Top-seeded Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 14 in this week’s National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, advanced to the Conference title match for the second straight year after besting fifth-seeded UMass Lowell, 5-4, in a penalty shootout after the two sides played to a 2-2 draw in semifinal round action of the 2005 Northeast-10 Conference Tournament, presented by Select Sports, tonight at Sodexho Field.            

Franklin Pierce (13-4-4, 10-1-2 NE-10) will host third-seeded Le Moyne College (13-5-2, 9-3-1 NE-10) on Sunday at a time to be determined tomorrow. Match time will be announced on the Franklin Pierce athletics website at www.franklinpierce.edu /athletics. Le Moyne advanced with a 2-1 double-overtime victory over seventh-seeded Bryant University (8-6-4, 6-4-3 NE-10) earlier today. UMass Lowell likely sees its season come to a close at 10-5-4 (8-4-1 NE-10).

            Franklin Pierce sophomore goalkeeper James Thorpe (East Longmeadow, Mass./Bridgton Academy) stopped junior Andrew Doherty (Malden, Mass./Malden Catholic) with a diving save to his right on UMass Lowell’s first penalty kick and the Ravens converted all five of theirs, capped by junior Jason Grier’s (Norwell, Mass./Norwell) drive to the left side, to advance.

            It marks the second-straight year the two teams have needed a shootout to decide a Northeast-10 Tournament match. UMass Lowell posted a 6-5 victory over Franklin Pierce after the two teams played to a scoreless draw in last year’s NE-10 Championship match.            

Prior to the shootout, the two teams combined for five shots (4-1 in favor of Franklin Pierce) through the first 72 minutes. However a wild 15-minute span produced four goals as the top-seeded Ravens had to twice answer UMass Lowell markers. Junior Michael Cafeteiro (Dracut, Mass./Dracut) opened the scoring with a stunning rocket from 35-yards out in the right channel after a back-heel pass from senior Craig Lamy (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) at 72:52. The marker put the Ravens behind for the first time since the 46^th minute of a 3-1 comeback win over Le Moyne on October 4 – a streak of 767:10 without trailing.

            Franklin Pierce answered just 1:23 later as grad student Simon Walker (Jarrow, England) stepped into a loose ball at the top of the penalty area after a free kick and fired a shot into the top shelf at 74:15.

            Lamy helped put the River Hawks up again as his cross from the right side connected with freshman Matias Pietropinto (Leominster, Mass./Worcester Academy) for a header at the far post at 87:05.            

However, the Ravens answered in just 36-seconds when freshman Tim Pacheco (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth), who entered the match after UML’s second marker, headed in a cross from the left side by classmate Raphael Guimaraes (Marlboro, Mass./Ashland) at the far post for the biggest goal of his collegiate career.

            UMass Lowell still nearly won the match in the dying seconds, but Thorpe made a diving save on a flick from 12-yards out by Doherty off a corner kick with just six-seconds left in regulation.

            In the first extra period, junior back Andre Elphic (St. Catherines, Jamaica) stepped into a ball from just inside the 18 from the right channel that looked to end the match, but was off the side netting with just seven seconds left. The teams combined for four shots in the second overtime with both sides missing on close-range headers.

            Thorpe finished with two saves for the Ravens, who finished with an 11-6 advantage in shots. Senior Bobby Ritter (North Andover, Mass./North Andover) made two stops for UMass Lowell.

MATCH STATISTICS