Franklin Pierce Blanks Assumption, 4-0
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Larned and Ettienne lead Ravens, who extend NE-10 regular season home unbeaten streak to 31 matches
RINDGE, N.H. (October 11, 2008) - Defending NCAA Division II Champion Franklin Pierce University, ranked ninth in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II East Regional poll, scored three goals in the first half and never looked back in posting a 4-0 victory over Assumption College in Northeast-10 Conference men's soccer action at Sodexo Field tonight.
Senior Cole Larned (Wilton, Conn./Wilton) and All-America grad student Bisharra Ettienne (Point Michel, Dominica) each collected a goal and assist to lead Franklin Pierce to victory. The win extends the Ravens NE-10 regular season unbeaten streak at home to 31 matches (28-0-3) dating back to October 22, 2003. Grad student Casey Ftorek (Wolfeboro, N.H./Taft School), an All-America transfer from Middlebury College, and freshman Viktor Gonçalves (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) also added goals for the Ravens.
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Freshman goalkeeper Vinny Papageorgiou (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington) made three saves to preserve his fourth shutout of the season for Franklin Pierce. Sophomore Brandan Sullivan (Halesite, N.Y./Saint Dominic) made four saves in 78:30 in goal for Assumption, before junior Brendan McCann (Pepperell, Mass./North Middlesex) stopped three shots over the final 11:30. The Ravens posted an 18-4 advantage in shots for the match, including 9-1 in the first half.
Franklin Pierce scored on its first shot of the night as Larned took a long pass from the halfway line from Ettienne and broke in one-on-one with Sullivan and slotted a low shot into the right side of the net from the left side 15:05 into the match. Larned and freshman Daniel Kijowski (Montreal, Quebec/St.-Ex) set up Ettienne for the Ravens second goal. With a corner kick from the right side, Larned spotted Kijowski open in the right channel, who connected with Ettienne for a header from eight yards out in the 33rd minute.
Franklin Pierce added a third goal just 1:10 later when Gonçalves beat a pair of defenders inside the 18 and fired in his Conference-leading ninth goal of the season in the 34th minute. The Ravens closed out the scoring in the 74th minute when sophomore Johan Torstensson (Falköping, Sweden) released freshman Michael Busto (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou School) down the right side with a nice through ball. Busto's cross hit Ftorek just inside the top center of the 18 for a rocket from 16 yards out for his second goal of the season.
Franklin Pierce (8-5-1, 6-1-1 NE-10) returns to action on Tuesday for a key Northeast-10 Conference battle at first place Southern New Hampshire University, ranked fifth nationally, at 7 p.m. The Ravens return home on Wednesday, October 22, to host Bentley College at 7 p.m. Assumption (4-4-3, 3-2-3 NE-10) visits the University of New Haven on Monday at 2 p.m.