Latif PK in 58th minute serves as game-winner

Box Score

RINDGE, N.H. (September 12, 2009) – Sophomore midfielder Paul Latif (Newcastle, England) put home the game-winning goal on a penalty kick in the 58th minute on Saturday night to lead the Franklin Pierce University men’s soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Saint Michael’s in Northeast-10 Conference play at Sodexo Field. Sophomore goalkeeper Vinny Papageorgiou (Wilmington, Mass.) made two saves to tally his first shutout of the season for Franklin Pierce.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 3-2-1 (1-1-0 Northeast-10), while Saint Michael’s falls to 5-1-0 (1-1-0 Northeast-10) with the loss.

Saint Michael’s had the first solid scoring chance of the game in the 17th minute, when the Purple Knights were awarded a free kick from about 25 yards out in the left channel. Senior midfielder Jared Berry took the shot and bent it towards the far post. The shot beat Papageorgiou, but whistled just wide of the net and the game remained scoreless.

Franklin Pierce’s first good chance of the game also came off a free kick, this one in the 31st minute. Latif sent the ball into the box from 30 yards out on the left side. Graduate student back Kevin Neumen (Miller Place, N.Y.) got his head to the service outside the six-yard box off the right post, but his redirection narrowly missed outside the left post.

Neither team mustered much else in the way of offense in the opening 45 minutes, as the two sides combined for 19 fouls against just 10 shot attempts. None of the 10 shots found the cage, as neither keeper was forced to make a save in the first half.

Saint Michael’s threatened again in the 50th minute, when junior midfielder Ryan Horan found himself with the ball and some space on top of the penalty area on the right side after shaking Franklin Pierce freshman midfielder Tyler Rosa (Rehoboth, Mass.). Horan uncorked a shot from the angle which missed outside the upper-right corner.

Franklin Pierce would break the ice in the 58th minute, when they were awarded a penalty kick after a Saint Michael’s defender handled the ball inside the box. Latif stepped to the penalty spot and buried the kick for his first goal in a Franklin Pierce uniform to give the Ravens a 1-0 lead.

The Purple Knights nearly found the equalizer just moments later, in the 59th minute, on a free kick from just outside the penalty area on the right wing. Junior back Rob Irving got his head to the service inside the six-yard box, but headed it just over the crossbar and out of bounds.

Franklin Pierce put the game on ice with an 84th-minute goal which made it 2-0. Freshman midfielder Amory Houghton (Cape Elizabeth, Maine), making his first collegiate appearance, found himself with the ball, time and space on the left wing. He slipped a pass into the middle at the top of the six-yard box to freshman forward Nicholas Schibly (Litchfield, N.H.), who knocked the ball into the empty net for his first career goal.

Both teams opened things up offensively in the second half and Franklin Pierce enjoyed a 9-7 shots advantage in the stanza to finish the game with a 15-11 edge. For the game, Franklin Pierce earned four corner kicks while allowing none for Saint Michael’s.

Papageorgiou stopped both shots on his cage to pick up the win (1-1-0) in net for Franklin Pierce and post his first shutout of the season and the ninth clean sheet of his career. Senior goalkeeper Jason Burnett made one save against three shots on his net and took the loss (5-1-0) between the pipes for Saint Michael’s.

The Ravens return to the pitch on Wednesday, Sept. 16, when they remain home to host Massachusetts Lowell in a Northeast-10 Conf erence contest. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Sodexo Field. The match is part of Franklin Pierce’s “Pierce Pride” initiative, is co-sponsored by Residential Life and will feature a giveaway to the first 200 Franklin Pierce students in attendance.