Sophomore midfielder nets pair of goals, adds assist

Box Score

RINDGE, N.H. (September 6, 2009) – Sophomore midfielder Diego Tabares (Seekonk, Mass.) scored twice, including the game-winner, and added an assist on Sunday night to lead the Franklin Pierce University men’s soccer team to a 4-3, non-conference win over Molloy in the finale of the Franklin Pierce Labor Day Classic at Sodexo Field. Senior midfielder Graeme Roderick scored twice in defeat for Molloy.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 2-1-1 (0-0-0 Northeast-10), while Molloy falls to 2-1-1 (0-0-0 East Coast) with the loss. The Ravens posted a 1-0-1 record in the Franklin Pierce Labor Day Classic, while Molloy went 1-1-0.

Molloy opened the scoring in the 13th minute when senior forward Mike Adamcewicz got the ball behind the defense on a through ball played into the box by freshman midfielder Zach Santangelo. Adamcewicz made his way around the keeper on the left side and tucked the ball inside the left post for his second goal of the season to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.

The Ravens would knot the game up at 1-1 in the 23rd minute after Tabares found himself at the top of the penalty area with only the keeper to beat. Molloy sophomore goalkeeper Carlos Barros came off his line and stopped Tabares’ shot attempt. However, Franklin Pierce sophomore midfielder Victor Goncalves (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) was able to corral the rebound outside the top of the 18-yard box and chip the ball over the keeper and into the empty net for his first goal of the season.

Molloy would regain the lead just 3:56 later, off a 27th-minute corner kick taken by senior midfielder Jose Batista. Franklin Pierce sophomore goalkeeper Alexander Pilitsis (Brunswick, Maine) punched the service away, but the ball fell right to the feet of Roderick at the top of the penalty area. Roderick notched his second goal of the season, as his ensuing shot beat Pilitsis to the upper-right corner.

Again, the Ravens would tie it up, this time with a goal in the 41st minute. Senior midfielder Kensaku Tsuji (Tokushima, Japan) made a run down the left side with the ball and slipped a pass into the box from the left wing. Graduate student midfielder Frantz Francois (West Palm Beach, Fla.) corralled the ball about 12 yards from the net, turned and fired a shot past Barros for his second goal of the season to tie the game, 2-2.

Once again, Molloy had a near-immediate answer, as they took a 3-2 lead just 1:11 later, in the 42nd minute. A free kick from midfield was served into the box by freshman back Craig Calderone. Pilitsis came out to play it, but muffed it, which left the ball at the feet of Roderick, who poked it into the empty net for his second goal of the season to give the Lions the lead heading into halftime. Franklin Pierce held an 11-8 shots advantage in the first half.

The Ravens wasted no time equalizing the contest again in the second half. In the 49th minute, Tabares made a run down the middle with the ball, split the defense and took a shot which beat Barros inside the left post for his second goal of the season, which tied the game, 3-3.

Franklin Pierce would later take its first lead of the game in the 74th minute. Freshman forward Nicholas Schibly (Litchfield, N.H.) played the ball into the middle from the right side and found the feet of a streaking Tabares five yards outside the top of the penalty area. Tabares went left around the only defender in front of him and beat Barros for his second goal of the game to give the Ravens a 4-3 lead they would not relinquish. For Schibly, the assist was his first career point.

Franklin Pierce held an 8-5 shots advantage in the second half and a 19-13 edge for the game. The Ravens attempted five corner kicks to four for Molloy.

Pilitsis made one save against four shots to earn the win (2-1-1) in net for Franklin Pierce. Barros stopped five of nine shots on his cage and took the loss (2-1-1) between the pipes for Molloy.

The Ravens return to the pitch on Wednesday, Sept. 9, when they travel to Southern New Hampshire for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Penmen Field in Manchester, N.H. Franklin Pierce’s next home game is on Sept. 12 against Saint Michael’s at 7 p.m.