Ravens search for first final four berth in 14 years when they host #12 NYIT in NCAA quarterfinal

RINDGE, N.H. (November 18, 2005) - Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 15 in the final regular season National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II coaches poll, hosts No. 12-ranked New York Institute of Technology in quarterfinal round action of the 2005 NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championships at Sodexho Field on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Franklin Pierce, which dropped a tough 1-0 decision at Dowling College in last year's quarterfinal round will look to take the next step and make its second final four appearance in program history and first since 1991. Franklin Pierce is hosting a quarterfinal match for the first time since 1995 when the then No. 1-ranked Ravens dropped a stunning 4-3 triple-overtime decision to No. 2 Southern Connecticut State University on Crystal Field.        

Franklin Pierce (15-5-4), making its 11^th NCAA Tournament appearance, advanced to the quarterfinal after claiming its second-straight New England regional title with a dramatic 1-0 overtime victory over top-seeded and No. 7-ranked Dominican (N.Y.) College at Sodexho Field last Saturday. All-America forward Christopher Joyce (Jarrow, England) converted a penalty kick 7:30 into the first overtime session after he was hauled down in the penalty area, to send the Ravens through. Franklin Pierce coasted to a 5-0 triumph over third-seeded and No. 23-ranked Le Moyne College in the opening round last Thursday.

NYIT, making its third NCAA Tournament appearance (1985, 2003), reached the quarterfinal round for the second time in program history with a 5-4 decision over No. 3 Dowling in a penalty shootout on Sunday afternoon after the two sides played to a 2-2 double-overtime draw. The Bears posted a 1-0 victory over third-seeded Slippery Rock University in the opening round. NYIT is looking to advance to the Final Four for the second time in program history, the first since 1985 when it dropped a 4-1 decision to Florida Tech in the national semifinal.    

Saturday will mark the seventh meeting all-time between these two programs, but the first since September 12, 1998, in Southern New Hampshire University's Puma Classic. Franklin Pierce holds a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series, including a 2-1 overtime victory in the last encounter in 1998.

Saturday will also mark the first postseason meeting between the two programs and NYIT's first trip to Rindge since September 16, 1995, when the Ravens cruised to a 7-0 victory. Franklin Pierce has won each of the last four meetings and is 2-1 all-time against the Bears at home. The Ravens set a program record with 12 goals in a 12-2 victory over NYIT on October 10, 1992.

Saturday will feature the top two goal scorers in Division II. Joyce has netted a DII-best 27 goals to go with a Northeast-10 leading eight assists for a DII-high 62 points, while NYIT senior forward Peter Antoniades (London, England) leads the Bears with 26 goals and three assists for 55 points this season.

Joyce, the NE-10 Player of the Year, has set a new school record this season with a Conference-best eight match-winning goals and earlier became just the sixth player in program history to surpass the 100-career point plateau. He collected Most Outstanding Offensive Player honors at the New England Regional for the second-straight year last weekend as he finished with three goals and an assist, netting the match-winner in both wins. In five matches for the Ravens against ranked teams this season, Joyce has totaled five goals and an assist for 11 points, leading the team to a 3-0-2 mark in those matches.            

Antoniades, the NYCAC Player of the Year, earned Most Outstanding Offensive Player honors at the Northeast Regional after scoring all three of the Bears goals in their two matches, and in the process set a new program single-season scoring record.

Franklin Pierce leads the Northeast-10 in scoring and defense, netting 2.62 goals and yielding just 0.87 goals per match with a Conference-high 13 shutouts. Also aiding in the Ravens offensive effort is junior Jason Grier (Norwell, Mass./Norwell), a second team All-Conference selection, with an NE-10 best eight assists to go with five goals for 18 points.

Freshmen Raphael Guimaraes (Marlboro, Mass./Ashland) and Marek Hawrylik (Olsztyn, Poland) have helped solidify the Franklin Pierce midfield. Guimaraes has totaled six goals (three match-winners) and four assists for 16 points, while Hawrylik has registered three goals and six assists (including two in last week's 5-0 win over Le Moyne) for 12 points.

Leading the defensive unit is a trio of All-Conference juniors Andre Elphic (St. Catherines, Jamaica), Peter Petropanagos (Mississauga, Ontario/York University) and Bisharra Ettienne (Queens, N.Y./Dominica State College), along with sophomore Michel Vitulano (Montreal, Quebec/College de Maissoneuve).  

Sophomore goalkeeper James Thorpe (East Longmeadow, Mass./Bridgton Academy), the two-time NE-10 Goalkeeper of the Year, leads the Conference with a 0.80 goals against average and ten shutouts to go with a .793 save percentage (2^nd).

NYIT enters the postseason having out-scored its opposition 32-9 in the first half this season. Adding offensive support to Antoniades is senior Eduardo Anacleto (Vitoria, Brazil) with seven goals and five assists for 19 points. Freshman Maoz Itshakov (Ramat-gan, Israel) has registered six goals (four match-winners) and an assist for 13 points, while sophomore Ryan Blachley (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills) has dished a team-best six assists to go with a goal for eight points.

Three members of the Bears defensive unit earned All-NYCAC honors for a team that is allowing 0.91 goals per match with seven shutouts. Senior David Velasco (Puebla, Mexico) and freshman Vincent Tyrrel (Dublin, Ireland) were named to the second team, while grad student Lucas Vetekesky (Vitoria, Brazil) was voted to the third team.

Freshman Francisco Banuelos (Jalisco, Mexico) has seen the majority of work in goal for the Bears and posted a 0.82 goals against average with a .733 save percentage and two shutouts in 1,314:43.

Tomorrow's winner will advance to the NCAA Final Four, hosted by Midwestern State University, in Wichita Falls, Texas, to face the winner of tomorrow's (8 p.m.) quarterfinal match between Appalachian Region champion and No. 6-ranked Carson-Newman (Tenn.) University (18-1-2) and Great Lakes Region winners and fourth-ranked SIU-Edwardsville (15-2-3). Both of those teams advanced to the quarterfinals on penalty kicks in their regional title matches last weekend.

The national semifinals will be played Friday, December 2, with the National Champion to be crowned on Sunday, December 4, in Wichita Falls, Texas.

NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament
Quarterfinal Round

Saturday, November 19
Lander (12-4-3) at #9 Lynn (15-2-0), Noon
#10 Cal State Dominguez Hills (17-4-2) at #1 Fort Lewis (Colo.) College (19-0-1), 3 p.m.
#12 New York Institute of Technology (14-3-4) at #15 Franklin Pierce (15-5-4), 7 p.m.
#6 Carson-Newman (19-1-1) at #4 SIU-Edwardsville (16-2-2), 8 p.m.