NE-10 TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL #4 Franklin Pierce Blanks Saint Anselm, 3-0
Eppinga figures in all three markers with a goal and two assists, Ravens host fourth-seeded Southern N.H. on Friday
RINDGE, N.H. (October 24, 2006) - Top-seeded Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 4 in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, defeated eighth-seeded Saint Anselm College, 3-0, in quarterfinal round action of the 2006 Northeast-10 Conference men's soccer championships at Sodexho Field tonight.
Franklin Pierce (16-1-1) advances to Friday's semifinal round and will host fourth-seeded Southern New Hampshire University (9-6-4) at 7 p.m. The Penmen advanced with a 3-1 victory over Merrimack College in another quarterfinal tonight. Saint Anselm draws its season to a close with a 7-10-1 record overall.
Freshman Matthijs Eppinga (Drachten, The Netherlands) played a role in all three Franklin Pierce goals for the first multi-point outing of his career. Junior All-America goalkeeper James Thorpe (East Longmeadow, Mass./Bridgton Academy) collected his Conference-leading tenth shutout of the season (35th career) without notching a save.
Eppinga set up sophomore Marek Hawrylik (Olsztyn, Poland) 22:25 into the match with a cross from the left side for a header from the center of the six. Eppinga scored on a blast off a free kick in the 31st minute after a touch from junior Brendan McMahon (Chapelhall, Scotland).
Grad student David Clifton (London, England) rounded out the scoring with just 27-seconds remaining in regulation, when he took a pass from Eppinga and chipped the ball in from just inside midfield, catching Saint Anselm's Tyler Sangster (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) off his line. Sangster replaced starter Scott Johnson (Plymouth, Mass./Trinity College) in goal to give Saint Anselm a forward option over the final 6:47.
Johnson kept the Hawks in the match with five saves over the first 83:13. Franklin Pierce finished with a 14-6 advantage in shots (10-4 second half).