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Franklin Pierce Athletics Honored by the NCAA With the "Game Environment" Award of Excellence in the Northeast-10 Conference

Franklin Pierce Athletics Honored by the NCAA With the "Game Environment" Award of Excellence in the Northeast-10 Conference

Second-straight year Franklin Pierce has won the Best Game Environment accolade

RINDGE, N.H. (January 14, 2011) -- The Franklin Pierce University Department of Athletics was recognized on Friday with the "Game Environment" Award of Excellence for the Northeast-10 Conference. The announcement was made at the NCAA Convention in San Antonio, as the national organization announced the winners from 10 Division II conference. By winning the award, Franklin Pierce received $500 to go towards adding more features to its in-game promotions.

It marks the second-straight year Franklin Pierce was honored with the award, as the school won the inaugural accolade at last year's NCAA Convention in Atlanta.

The Athletics Department earned the honor this year for its production of the 2010-11 Pierce Pride Kickoff Weekend, which was held this past fall, Sept. 4, at Sodexo Field in Rindge. The event, which featured carnival food and games, was held around a tripleheader of exciting soccer action. Throughout the afternoon, the campus and local community was treated to a barbeque, games and prizes, and free ice cream. The day was capped at halftime of the men's soccer match, as the department debuted its new "Rocky the Raven II" mascot, which drew a loud ovation from the more than 1,000 fans in attendance. Immediately following the match, a post-game fireworks show lit up the sky, courtesy of Atlas Pyrotechnics. The event also received tremendous support from Sodexo and the Office of Student Involvement.

The event was promoted throughout the summer, as the department produced a humorous video showing Rocky working out and getting in shape for his beginning-of-the-year debut. It was shown on the department's official website (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu) and throughout various outlets on campus. The video was viewed nearly 2,000 times throughout the summer and early fall as interest grew leading up to the event. (Fans wishing to watch the video can do so at the bottom of this release.)

There have been other exciting events held on the Franklin Pierce campus this fall and early winter, including Pierce Pride events for the men's and women's soccer teams, the volleyball  team, the field hockey team and the men's and women's basketball teams. At each of those events, the department gave away free items to 150 students, including dry-erase boards, chapstick, food, stadium mugs and much more.

While attending those games, students and fans from the local community have seen some of the nation's top Division II teams, including the men's soccer program, which was ranked No. 1 in the nation for more than a month and won the Northeast-10 Conference championship. The women's soccer team was ranked nationally throughtout the season and advanced to the program's 19th-consecutive NCAA Tournament. The field hockey team produced one of the finest seasons in program history and earned a trip to the NE-10 tournament. The women's basketball program has been ranked among the nation's top 25 for most of the season, while the men's basketball squad has taken on some of the nation's top competition in the always competitive Northeast-10. The volleyball program also continued to grow this past fall and improved upon its win total from the previous season.

Several other exciting events are planned throughout the winter and spring, including Rocky the Raven Kid's Day, which will be held next Saturday, Jan. 22, during the men's and women's basketball doubleheader at The Fieldhouse in Rindge. The women's game will begin at 1:30 p.m., with the men's game to follow at 3:30 p.m. Throughout the day, area children will be treated to autograph sessions, free giveaways, Rocky the Raven tattoos and halftime games. All children will be admitted FREE with a paying adult. Last year's event was a smashing success as area children continued coming back to the remaining home games for the final month of the season. Several of those children have continued to remain loyal Raven supporters as they have attended several home contests this season.

Franklin Pierce Athletics will also host a Pink Zone Breast Cancer Awareness Day on Saturday, Feb. 12 during the men's and women's basketball doubleheader at 1:30 p.m., and the men's ice hockey game at 7 p.m. at The Winchendon School Ice Arena. The department will be raising funds, which will go to help the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at the Kingsbury Pavilion in the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Keene, N.H.

Franklin Pierce will also host a Pierce Pride event for the ice hockey, baseball, softball, men's lacrosse and women's lacrosse teams, during the winter and spring months.

However, the exciting game environment at Franklin Pierce is made possible because of all the outstanding support from the fans. Without their excitement and dedication of coming to the games, these in-game initiatives would not be possible. Franklin Pierce boasts one of the most enthusiastic crowds (student and community) in all of the Northeast-10 Conference, and all of the school's student-athletes and coaches appreciate the support they receive.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the department's official website at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.)