Franklin Pierce Runs Past Saint Rose, 5-1
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Francois and Gonçalves each score twice as four second half goals lift Ravens to victory
RINDGE, N.H. (September 16, 2008) - Defending NCAA Division II Champion Franklin Pierce University scored four second-half goals to claim a 5-1 victory over The College of Saint Rose in Northeast-10 Conference men's soccer action at Sodexo Field tonight.
Senior midfielder Frantz Francois (Saint-Marc, Haiti/Palm Beach Lakes (Fla.)) and freshman forward Viktor Gonçalves (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) each scored a pair of goals as Franklin Pierce runs its unbeaten streak in NE-10 regular season matches to 17 (15-0-2) dating back to October 2006. Grad student Bisharra Ettienne (Point Michel, Dominica) also collected a goal with a second half penalty kick.
Freshman Vinny Papageorgiou (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington) notched his first collegiate victory in goal for the Ravens without making a save. Freshman Patrik Ohlsson (Sodertalje, Sweden) posted two stops in goal for Saint Rose.
Sophomore Liam Barrett (County Limerick, Ireland) scored the lone Saint Rose goal with a penalty kick in the 29th minute that knotted the match at a goal apiece. The Golden Knights were awarded the kick after Franklin Pierce was whistled for a handball inside the penalty area at 28:13.
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Franklin Pierce struck first in the match as Gonçalves scored off a feed from junior Sean Ahern (Somers, Conn./Somers) during a scramble inside the 18 at 17:34. The first half was evenly played as evidenced by both sides registering six shots in the frame.
Franklin Pierce erupted for four second half goals, two off the foot of Francois. He put the Ravens in front for good 4:28 into the second half when he worked a give-and-go with junior Kensaku Tsuji (Tokushima, Japan) and weaved through multiple Saint Rose defenders before slotting a low shot into the right side of the net. The Ravens extended their lead to two goals just 1:23 later when Saint Rose was called for a handball inside the penalty area. Ettienne calmly slotted the penalty past Ohlsson in the 61st minute.
Francois added his second goal in the 69th minute when he took advantage of a defensive turnover inside the 18, slipped the ball past the keeper and then poked the shot into an open net. Gonçalves capped the scoring in the 89th minute, taking a pass from freshman Michael Busto (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou School) and firing a low shot into the right side of the net.
Franklin Pierce (3-4-0, 2-0-0 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday night when it hosts NE-10 rivals Southern Connecticut State University to cap off Franklin Pierce Men's Soccer Alumni Day at the University. Among the activities on tap will be a ceremony in which the 2007 men's soccer team will receive its National Championship rings earlier in the day. Saint Rose (1-5-0, 0-3-0 NE-10) hosts Bentley College on Saturday at 1 p.m.