Franklin
Pierce Men’s Soccer RINDGE,
N.H. (September 6, 2006) –
The Franklin Pierce men’s soccer team is ranked No. 1 in this
week’s National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas
Division II coaches poll. The top-billing marks the first time in
program history the Ravens men’s team has achieved this status after
several appearances at the No. 2 spot over the program’s rich
history.
Franklin Pierce is off to a 4-0 start for the first time in
Head Coach Marco
Koolman’s
seven years at the helm of the program after sweeping two matches at
the Franklin Pierce Labor Day Classic over the weekend. The
Ravens are off to their best start since a 5-0 start to the 1998
season. “This is a nice accomplishment for the hard work last year’s team put in and that this year’s team has kept building on,” said Koolman. “However, we won’t pay much attention to rankings as it is early in the season and there is a lot of work ahead. We need to work hard to maintain and keep this position to show if we are capable of it in the end. If we do that, we will be where we want to be. At a school like this, it is expected that we compete at this high level.”
Franklin
Pierce, preseason favorites in the Northeast-10 Conference, have
returned nine of the 11 starters from last year’s NCAA Division II
Championship match, which the Ravens dropped a 3-1 decision to Fort
Lewis (Colo.) University. Heading the list of returnees is junior
All-America goalkeeper James
Thorpe (East Longmeadow, Mass./Bridgton Academy),
along with senior center backs Andre
Elphic (St. Catherines, Jamaica/Springfield Gardens (N.Y.))
and Bisharra
Ettienne (Rosedale, N.Y./Dominica State College).
The trio has formed the nucleus of a stingy defensive unit, which is
yielding 0.75 goals over four matches.
Also returning is sophomore Raphael
Guimaraes (Marlborough, Mass./Ashland),
who has totaled a team-best five points on two goals and an assist so
far this season. Senior Jason
Grier (Norwell, Mass./Norwell)
and junior captain Michel
Vitulano (Montreal, Quebec/College de Maisonneuve)
are also among the key returnees.
Franklin Pierce (4-0, 0-0 NE-10) will begin defense of its
first Northeast-10 Conference regular season title with a stern test
at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, ranked 25th in
this week’s NSCAA/adidas poll, on Saturday at 3 p.m. The Ravens
return home on Wednesday, September 13, when they host Assumption
College at 7 p.m. |
