National runner-up Ravens place three of four on first team

RINDGE, N.H. (December 12, 2005) - Four members of the NCAA Division II runner-up Franklin Pierce men's soccer team have earned All-New England Region honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

Grad student Christopher Joyce (Jarrow, England), junior Bisharra Ettienne (Queens, N.Y./Dominica State College) and sophomore James Thorpe (East Longmeadow, Mass./Bridgton Academy) were all picked to the NSCAA/adidas All-New England first team, while junior Jason Grier (Norwell, Mass./Norwell) was selected to the All-Region second team.      

Joyce, the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year, earns first team All-New England accolades for the second-straight year and is also a two-time first team All-Northeast-10 honoree and 2004 NSCAA/adidas first team All-American. He finished his final season at the College with an NCAA Division II best 67 points and 29 goals to go with an NE-10-leading nine assists.

In addition to his goal total leading the nation, the 29 markers matched the program's single-season record set by former two-time All-American Bojan Vuckovic in 1992. Joyce also set a school-record with a Conference-leading eight match-winning goals, while his 67 points finished just four shy of Vuckovic's school record.

Joyce finished his two-year career at the College ranked fourth in program history with 51 goals, sixth with 119 points and 15^th with 17 assists in 50 career matches. He led the NE-10 in scoring and goals both years at the College and set an NCAA Division II Tournament record with nine career goals and finished with a Division II record-matching 20 career points in eight career NCAA Tournament matches played. Joyce was named the Most Outstanding Offensive Player in the NCAA Tournament New England Regional in 2004 and 2005 and was also selected to the All-Tournament team at the NCAA Division II Final Four this year.           

Thorpe, the two-time NE-10 Goalkeeper of the Year, also collects first team All-New England honors for the second straight year as just a sophomore. Thorpe, a two-time first team All-Conference pick led the NE-10 for the second-straight year with 11 shutouts, while ranking second in the Conference with a 0.86 goals against average and third with a .788 save percentage over 2,307:14 in net. His GAA this fall ranks second only to his own school-record 0.68 average set his freshman season. Thorpe has earned back-to-back Most Outstanding Defensive Player honors at the NCAA Tournament New England Regionals and was selected to the All-Tournament team at the NCAA Division II Final Four this season.

Thorpe, a converted forward from his days at the prep and high school levels, has already etched his name into the Franklin Pierce record books. In addition to setting single-season records for shutouts (14) and goals against average (0.68) as a freshman, he holds the two longest scoreless minute streaks in program history, including a record 578:52 string late in the year in 2004. Thorpe's 0.77 career goals against average is currently on pace to shatter the previous mark of 1.16, his 25 career shutouts are good second all-time, just two shy of the school-record, while his .806 career save percentage is also good for second all-time.

Thorpe has posted a 3-1 career record in penalty shootouts, winning his last three, including victories in the NE-10 Tournament semifinals and NCAA Quarterfinal rounds this fall.            

Ettienne, a first-time All-New England selection after also collecting first team All-Northeast-10 honors this season for the first time, has been a key member of a Ravens defensive unit that ranked third in the Northeast-10 with a 0.91 team goals against average, including a Conference-low 0.66 GAA in NE-10 play, and a Conference-best 14 shutouts.

Ettienne, a member of Dominica's men's national team, has also stepped into the offensive flow and led all Franklin Pierce defenders with five goals (tied for third overall on the team) with an assist for 11 points (6^th). He scored two goals, including the match-winner in the Ravens 4-0 victory over Southern Connecticut State University (10/27) that clinched the NE-10 regular season title.            

Grier picks up his first All-New England honor after also collecting All-NE-10 accolades earlier this season. The midfielder finished second on the team with 18 points and eight assists, while his five goals tied for third on the team. His assist total ranked second only to Joyce among Conference leaders, while ranking tenth in points.

Grier has totaled 12 goals (two match-winners) and 14 assists for 38 points in 61 career matches played over three seasons at Franklin Pierce. He enters his senior year ranked 23^rd in program history in scoring, while his assist total is just one shy of cracking the all-time list.

Franklin Pierce (16-6-5, 10-1-2 NE-10) advanced to the National Championship match for the first time in program history before dropping a 3-1 decision to No. 1-ranked Fort Lewis (Colo.) College. The Ravens, ranked No. 2 in the final NSCAA/adidas Division II poll, reached the NCAA Division II Final Four for the second time in program history after claiming the Northeast-10 Conference regular season championship - their first Conference title since 1995.