#1 Franklin Pierce Slips
Past #23 Merrimack, 1-0
Vitulano penalty kick the difference
as Ravens remain unbeaten through 14

RINDGE, N.H. (October 11, 2006) – Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 1 in this week’s National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, got a late penalty kick to defeat 23^rd-ranked Merrimack College in a key Northeast-10 Conference men’s soccer match at Sodexho Field tonight.

            Junior captain Michel Vitulano (Montreal, Quebec/College de Maisonneuve) converted a penalty kick with just 1:27 remaining in regulation to extend Franklin Pierce’s unbeaten streak to 14 – its longest since starting the 1995 season 17-0-1 before falling to Southern Connecticut State University in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II Tournament.

            Franklin Pierce was awarded the penalty with a pair of Merrimack defenders knocked down sophomore Marek Hawrylik (Olsztyn, Poland/The Winchendon (Mass.) School) as he attempted to charge through the penalty area. Vitulano converted his second penalty of the year to put the hosts in front.           

Freshman Alec Cambio (Scituate, R.I./Providence Country Day) made four saves to preserve the shutout for Franklin Pierce in his first collegiate start in place of injured junior All-American James Thorpe (East Longmeadow, Mass./Bridgton Academy). The Ravens have conceded just one goal through ten NE-10 matches so far this season (0.10 team goals against average). The shutout is their fifth-straight, extending their scoreless streak to 504:30.

            Senior Jason Baker (Wells, Maine/Wells) made two saves in goal for Merrimack, which was out-shot 7-6, but held a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks.

            Both sides had two shots after the opening 45-minutes, but the best scoring chance of the first came from Franklin Pierce as grad student David Clifton (London, England) was in one-on-one with Baker, but the Merrimack keeper charged off his line nicely to smother the attempt in the 16^th minute.

            Merrimack had the first true chance of the second half, but junior Farid Issa’s (Rockland, Mass./Rockland) toe-poke on a scramble inside the six was collected by Cambio at the right post in the 53^rd. The Ravens maintained possession for much of the second half, but were just off on some scoring chances before Hawrylik was hauled down in the penalty area.

            Franklin Pierce (13-0-1, 9-0-1 NE-10) continues a key three-match stretch on Saturday when it visits Saint Michael’s College, ranked tenth in the New England region, at 1 p.m. The Ravens return home on Saturday, October 21, when they round out the regular season against the College of Saint Rose at 7 p.m. Merrimack (11-4, 6-4 NE-10) hosts UMass Lowell, ranked fourth in the region, on Saturday at 6 p.m.

MATCH STATISTICS & PLAY-BY-PLAY