Franklin Pierce Men Host First NE-10 Tournament Match in Three Years
Second-seeded and No. 16-ranked Ravens host seventh-seeded Saint Anselm Sunday at 2 p.m.
RINDGE, N.H. (October 31, 2003) - For the first time since the 2000 season, the Franklin Pierce men's soccer team, ranked No. 16 in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II Coaches poll, will host a postseason match as the second-seeded Ravens host seventh-seeded Saint Anselm College in a Northeast-10 Conference quarterfinal round match on Sunday at 2 p.m.
The match will be played on the Franklin Pierce campus, but at its Field Hockey/Lacrosse complex, which is located approximately 100-yards behind the bleachers at Crystal Field. Admission to the match is free and is the second half of an NE-10 Tournament doubleheader as the Franklin Pierce women's team will host Pace University at 11:30 a.m.
The last time Franklin Pierce (11-5-1, 11-2 NE-10), which has reached the semifinals of the NE-10 Tournament all three years since joining the Conference in 2000, hosted a postseason contest came in its inaugural NE-10 season as it posted a 5-3 victory over the University of Massachusetts Lowell in a quarterfinal round battle. The last two-seasons the Ravens have posted road victories against nationally-ranked opponents to reach the semifinals - a task which they hope does not come back to haunt them as they are in the reverse of that position this year.
Saint Anselm (10-4-2, 7-4-2 NE-10) is making its tenth consecutive tournament appearance on Sunday and owns six NE-10 Tournament titles overall with its last championship coming in 2001.
Sunday will mark the 23rd meeting all-time between these two programs, the third in postseason play. Saint Anselm holds a 12-10 advantage in the all-time series having won both previous postseason encounters. The Hawks posted a 1-0 victory over the Ravens in the 2000 NE-10 semifinals and a 3-0 decision in the semifinals in 2001.
The Ravens ended a streak of six-straight losses, dating back to the 1997 season, to the Hawks with a 2-0 victory in Manchester, N.H., on September 20, which also marked the Ravens first win on the Saint Anselm campus since 1993. Sophomore Lars Bakker (Enschede, The Netherlands) played a role in both Franklin Pierce markers, netting the only goal they would need in the 34th minute on a penalty kick and assisting on an insurance tally by classmate Evan Luster (Newington, Conn./Newington) in the 73rd.
Bakker leads Franklin Pierce this season with 35 points (2nd NE-10) and 15 goals (2nd) to go with five assists. He led the Ravens to a key victory over No. 20 Bentley College on Thursday with a goal and assist.
Junior Mark Jansen (Enschede, The Netherlands) has totaled 15 points with a Conference-leading nine assists and three goals this season, while classmate Kenneth Reid (Sarpsborg, Norway) has chipped in 14 points with six goals (three match-winners) and two assists.
Senior goalkeeper Domenico Roma (Windsor, Ontario/Ste. Annes) backbones a stout Ravens defensive unit. His 0.99 goals against average is better than the program's single-season record of 1.01 set by Steve Quinones in 1988. Roma has stopped 80.7-percent of the shots on goal against him and has posted four shutouts this season.
Roma is protected by a solid defensive unit of senior Sean McCabe (Derry City, Northern Ireland), a legitimate Conference Defender of the Year candidate, juniors Kyle Miller (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) and Michael Black (Guilford, Conn./Guilford) and redshirt freshman Andre Elphic (Springfield Gardens, N.Y./Springfield Gardens).
Defense has been the key to Saint Anselm's success this season as it boasts a 0.96 team goals against average while averaging just 1.51 goals scored per outing. Eight of the Hawks games this season have been decided by a single goal, with six finishing with 1-0 score lines.
Senior goalkeeper Robert Morong (Dedham, Mass./Dedham) boasts a 0.83 goals against average and .874 save percentage with five shutouts this season. He is averaging 6.0 saves per contest this season.
The Saint Anselm offense is led by sophomore Seth Ebbeling (Northbridge, Mass./St. John's) who has totaled 18 points on eight goals (five match-winners) and two assists. Junior Chris Sanderson (Saugus, Mass./St. Mary's) has added 14 points with six goals and two assists.
The winner of Sunday's quarterfinal battle will advance to the semifinals to face the winner of Sunday's match between No. 6 Le Moyne College (10-6-2, 8-4-1 NE-10) and No. 3 UMass Lowell (10-4-2, 9-4 NE-10) on Wednesday.
2003 Northeast-10 Conference Men's Soccer Championships
QUARTERFINALS
Sunday, November 2
#8 Southern New Hampshire at #1 Southern Connecticut
State, 1 p.m.
#5 Bryant at #4 Bentley, 1 p.m.
#7 Saint Anselm at #2 Franklin Pierce, 2 p.m.
#6 Le Moyne at #3 UMass Lowell, 2 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Wednesday, November 5 (at higher seeds)
Southern N.H./Southern Connecticut winner vs.
Bryant/Bentley winner, 2 p.m.
Franklin Pierce/Saint Anselm winner vs. UMass Lowell/Le
Moyne winner, 2 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, November 9
at highest remaining seed, 1 p.m.