#3 Franklin Pierce Blanks 
American International, 1-0
Guimaraes nets winner, Thorpe notches five 
saves for record 30^th career shutout

LUDLOW, Mass. (September 16, 2006) – Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 3 in this week’s National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, remained unbeaten through its first seven matches of the season with a 1-0 victory over American International College, ranked fifth in the New England region, in Northeast-10 Conference men’s soccer action at Lusitano Stadium tonight.

            Sophomore midfielder Raphael Guimaraes (Marlborough, Mass./Ashland) netted the lone goal just 12:09 into the match and Franklin Pierce made it stand the rest of the way. Guimaraes scored on a free kick from just outside the 18 with a low ball just to the right of the American International wall that skipped towards the right post. AIC senior goalkeeper Michael Murphy (Ithaca, N.Y./Herkimer CC) was able to get a hand on it, but it glanced away and off the post before crossing the goal line.            

Junior All-America goalkeeper James Thorpe (East Longmeadow, Mass./Bridgton Academy) did the rest for the Ravens, making five saves to preserve his fifth shutout of the season (30^th career). Thorpe and the Ravens have notched three-straight clean sheets and have not yielded a goal over the last 326:12, including all 290 minutes of action in three NE-10 matches.

            Thorpe stopped a point-blank shot from AIC junior Chris Charles (Brooklyn, N.Y./Herkimer CC) at the hour mark and registered four of his five stops over the final 45-minutes. The Yellow Jackets finished with a 9-8 edge in shots for the match, including 5-2 on target.

            Franklin Pierce (6-0-1, 2-0-1 NE-10) is back in action on Wednesday when it visits Bentley College for a Conference battle at 3:30 p.m. American International (4-2, 2-2 NE-10) hosts Merrimack College on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

MATCH STATISTICS & PLAY-BY-PLAY