Shaun Taylor Scores Second-Straight Game-Winner as #3 Men's Soccer Downs Assumption 2-1 in OT
Shaun Taylor notches second-straight game-winning goal
WORCESTER, Mass. (October 23, 2010) -- Graduate forward
Shaun Taylor (Isle of White, England) notched his
second-consecutive game-winning goal on Saturday night as he scored
in overtime to help lift the No. 3-nationally ranked Franklin
Pierce University men's soccer team to a 2-1 win over Assumption in
Worcester, Mass. The win extended the Ravens' unbeaten streak to
11-straight matches as they improved to 12-1-1 overall and 10-0-1
in Northeast-10 play. The Greyhounds fell to 6-7-2 and 5-7-1 in
conference action.
After the teams exchanged goals in the opening seven minutes of
action, the match went without a tally for the next 88 minutes
before Taylor popped in the game-winner in the 95th minute.
Sophomore midfielder Samuel Kelley (Bedford, N.H.)
slipped a pass to Taylor, who created space and launched a shot
from far out which slammed into the upper-right corner of the goal
past the extended arms of Assumption goalkeeper Brandan
Sullivan.
For Taylor, it marked the second-straight match he tallied the
game-winning goal as he also scored the winner in Wednesday night's
1-0 triumph over Saint Anselm. He also extended his streak to
three-consecutive matches with at least a point, and the goal was
his third of the campaign. Kelley earned an assist on Taylor's goal
for his second helper of the year.
Franklin Pierce opened the scoring in the sixth minute when
graduate back Jeff Hay (Dudley, Mass.) headed in a
crossing pass from junior forward Victor Goncalves (Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil) for his sixth goal of the year, which is
tops on the team. It was Goncalves' first assist of the
campign.
The Ravens' 1-0 lead was short-lived as the Greyhounds answered
one minute later when Steve Blaisdell headed in a shot off a
free-kick attempt from Jose Paulo.
The early goal did not phase the Franklin Pierce backs as they
shutdown Assumption the rest of the way. The Ravens allowed just 10
shots, with only five of those on going on goal. Junior goalkeeper
Vinny Papageorgiou (Wilmington, Mass.) shook off
the goal and made four saves to earn the win and run his record to
12-1-1 on the season.
Franklin Pierce recorded 23 shots, with 12 going on goal. Taylor
and Goncalves each logged five shots, while junior midfielder
Paul Latif (Newcastle, England) recorded four.
The Ravens return to action Tuesday night when they play host to
in-state rival Southern New Hampshire at 7:30 p.m. in Sodexo
Field.
For more information on Franklin Pierce men's soccer, please visit
the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the
program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on
YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter
(www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook
(www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceAthletics).