Franklin Pierce to Battle UMass Lowell in NCAA First Round
Third-seeded Ravens to face second-seeded UMass Lowell Friday night in New Haven, Conn.
RINDGE, N.H. (November 13, 2003) - Third-seeded Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 16 in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, will face second-seeded and No. 18-ranked University of Massachusetts Lowell in an NCAA Division II Tournament first round match Friday night in New Haven, Conn., at 7 p.m.
The New England Regional is being hosted by top-seeded and No. 6-ranked Southern Connecticut State University, which received a first round bye and will host the winner of Friday night's match in Sunday's regional final at 1 p.m.
Franklin Pierce (11-5-2, 11-2 NE-10) is making its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance, its first since 1998 and first under four-year head coach Marco Koolman. In the Ravens last NCAA match, New Hampshire College (now Southern New Hampshire University) posted a 4-1 first round victory in Manchester, N.H.
"Franklin Pierce has always been a program that has a reputation of being an NCAA Tournament contender," said Koolman. "The credit goes to the team and the guys for they way they have performed all year. This is the best team I've coached since I've been here at Franklin Pierce and they are deserving of the bid."
Tomorrow night will mark the 17th meeting all-time between these two programs, the second in postseason play, but the first in NCAA Tournament action. Franklin Pierce holds a 14-1-1 advantage in the all-time series and won the lone postseason encounter with a 5-3 decision in the 2000 Northeast-10 Conference quarterfinals.
Franklin Pierce captured the regular season encounter between the two teams this fall, posting a 3-2 decision over the River Hawks on October 4 in Rindge, N.H. Sophomore forward Lars Bakker (Enschede, The Netherlands) netted two goals for the Ravens, including the match-winner in the 47th minute, while junior Jason Paige (Woburn, Mass./Woburn) registered a goal and assist for UML.
Franklin Pierce enters the NCAA Tournament well rested after being eliminated by Saint Anselm College in a penalty kick shootout in the Northeast-10 Conference quarterfinals on November 2.
Bakker, a first team All-Northeast-10 selection, leads the Ravens with 37 points (3rd NE-10) and 16 goals (3rd) to go with five assists. His four match-winning goals also lead the team, while he has also registered the team's lone hat trick.
Junior Mark Jansen (Enschede, The Netherlands), a second-team All-Conference pick this fall, shares the NE-10 lead with ten assists to go with three goals for 16 points. Classmate Kenneth Reid (Sarpsborg, Norway), a third team All-Conference pick, has totaled 14 points with six goals (three match-winners) and two assists.
Senior goalkeeper Domenico Roma (Windsor, Ontario/Ste. Annes) backbones the Ravens defensive unit. The third-team All-NE-10 pick carries a 0.97 goals against average into tomorrow night's match, which is 0.04 better than the program's single-season record of 1.01 set by Steve Quinones in 1988. Roma has recorded a .797 save percentage with four shutouts in 13 matches (12 starts) this fall.
UMass Lowell (13-4-2, 9-4 NE-10) is making its NCAA Tournament debut this weekend. The River Hawks are fresh off a 3-2 comeback victory over Southern Connecticut in Sunday's Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Championship match in New Haven. Paige scored a goal and set up another as UML erased a 2-0 deficit after just ten minutes of action. Junior back Kyle Burson (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands) scored the winner in the 80th minute on a 40-yard free kick. Sophomore goalkeeper Bobby Ritter (North Andover, Mass./North Andover) made three stops in giving the Ravens the comeback chance.
UMass Lowell, winners of eight of its last nine matches, is led by Paige, a first team All-Conference pick, with 42 points (2nd NE-10) and 17 goals (2nd) to go with eight assists (5th). The top goal scorer in Conference matches this season, he also leads the team with four match-winning goals this fall.
Senior Michael Cabral (Milford, Mass./Milford), a first team All-Conference selection, has totaled 29 points (5th) on 11 goals (5th) and seven assists. Christian Figueroa (North Andover, Mass./North Andover), the 2003 NE-10 Freshman of the Year, has chipped in 20 points (11th) with six goals and eight assists (5th).
Ritter ranks third in the Conference with a 0.90 goals against average to go with a .696 save percentage and six shutouts in 16 matches in goal this season.
2003 NCAA Division II New England Regional Tournament
FIRS T
ROUND
Friday, November 14
(hosted by Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven,
Conn.)
#3 Franklin Pierce vs. #2 UMass Lowell, 7 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, November 16
Franklin Pierce/UMass Lowell at #1 Southern Connecticut State, 1
p.m.