Petropanagos, McMahon and Vitulano all earn first team spots for Ravens

RINDGE, N.H. (October 18, 2006) - Three members of the Franklin Pierce men's soccer team have earned spots on the Northeast-10 Conference All-Academic First Team as selected by the Conference's 15 sports information directors. The announcement was made by the NE-10 office this afternoon.

Senior Peter Petropanagos (Mississauga, Ontario/York University) and juniors Brendan McMahon (Chapelhall, Scotland) and Michel Vitulano (Montreal, Quebec/College de Maisonneuve) each earned the honors, marking the first time Franklin Pierce has placed three players on the first team. 

Petropanagos, a first team NE-10 All-Academic selection for the second-straight year, has earned a 3.84 cumulative grade point average as a pre-med major at Franklin Pierce. In 2005, Petropanagos also earned third team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America and Academic All-District first team honors. He is a two-time NE-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll student, earning Gold Scholar status in 2005-06, and is a member of Chi Alpha Sigma National Student-Athlete Honor Society.

Petropanagos has been a three-year mainstay for a Franklin Pierce defensive unit that has ranked in the top ten among NCAA Division II leaders each fall. A second team All-Northeast-10 selection in 2005, Petropanagos is a key part of a Ravens defensive unit which leads Division II with a 0.37 team goals against average and 11 shutouts. Franklin Pierce has yielded just three goals (0.25 GAA) in 12 Conference matches this season.

Petropanagos has five assists for five career points, with them all coming during Franklin Pierce's run to the NCAA Division II National Championship match in 2005.           

Vitulano, a first time NE-10 All-Academic selection, has earned a 3.47 cumulative GPA while majoring in mass communication. The Chi Alpha Sigma National Student-Athlete Honor Roll member earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District second team honors in 2005 and was a Northeast-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll Bronze Scholar last year.

The defensive-minded midfielder is a two-year co-captain for Franklin Pierce and a key member of the Ravens defensive unit that leads Division II in goals against average (0.37) and shutouts (11). Vitulano has also recorded three goals (two match-winners) and an assist for seven points, including a goal (match-winner) and assist in last night's 2-1 victory over No. 21 Southern Connecticut State.

In 49 career matches, Vitulano has totaled five goals (three match-winners) and two assists for 12 points. The Ravens have also ranked among NCAA Division II defensive leaders each of his three seasons and he earned All-Tournament team honors at the 2004 NCAA Division II New England Regional.        

McMahon also collects NE-10 All-Academic honors for the first time, having earned a 3.59 cumulative GPA while majoring in finance at the College. An NE-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll Silver Scholar in 2005-06, McMahon ranks third on the team with three assists, with two of the three setting up match-winning goals, in 16 starts this season.

McMahon is a two-year starter with the Franklin Pierce defensive unit after transferring from Auburn University-Montgomery where he was also a member of an NAIA national finalist team in 2004. Since coming to Franklin Pierce, the Ravens have yielded just 32 goals in 43 matches (0.74/match) with 25 shutouts. McMahon has collected two goals and six assists for ten points in 41 matches played for the Ravens.

Franklin Pierce (14-1-1, 10-1-1 NE-10), ranked No. 4 in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, has clinched the top seed in next week's Northeast-10 Tournament, which kicks off with quarterfinal round action on Tuesday, October 24 (Time & Opponent TBA). The Ravens play their final regular season home match on Saturday against the College of Saint Rose at 7 p.m.