Ravens pile up 15 shots on goal

RINDGE, N.H. (October 19, 2013) – The Franklin Pierce University men's soccer team kept knocking on the door all afternoon, but could never find a goal on Saturday, as Adelphi escaped with a 1-0 win in Northeast-10 Conference play at Sodexo Field. Junior midfielder Diego Zuniga scored the game's lone goal in the 33rd minute. Franklin Pierce piled up 25 shot attempts against Adelphi's eight on the afternoon.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 6-6-0 (5-4-0 Northeast-10), while Adelphi improves to 9-4-0 (8-3-0 Northeast-10).

Adelphi got the only goal it would need in the 33rd minute on a well-timed, give-and-go play at the top of the box after a failed clear by the Franklin Pierce defense. Zuniga started with the ball outside the top of the box, and sent it to freshman midfielder Caelan Hueber just inside the penalty area, in front of the middle of the goal. Hueber made a move to the right and looked to be attempting to set up his own shot. However, instead of striking the ball, he flicked the ball off to his left and hit a cutting Zuniga in stride. The pass left Zuniga alone against the keeper, and he finished his third goal of the season inside the right post.

Franklin Pierce controlled the run of play for large stretches of the second half, but was never able to find the answer. One of the team's best chances for an equalizer came in the 66th minute after a service into the box from the right side. After the initial shot was saved, the ball bounced around amidst a mess of traffic inside the six-yard box. The rebound ultimately came to the feet of freshman midfielder Pedro Espindola (Sao Paulo, Brazil), who had large stretches of net to shoot at and the goalkeeper down on the ground. However, he appeared to rush the shot and sent it straight at a defender who turned it away.

In the 68th minute, the Adelphi defense was again sent scrambling in its own penalty area. Once again, the loose ball found Espindola, who caught the goalkeeper off his line and lofted a shot which appeared ticketed for the net. Junior back Julian Hohns bailed out his goalkeeper though, as he was able to volley the waist-high shot off the goal line just before it made its way into the goal.

It was only the first strong scoring chance of the 68th minute for Franklin Pierce, as Espindola got yet another chance with the ball near the top of the penalty area and an open shooting lane. He unleashed a rocket of a shot, but the third time would not be the charm for Espindola, as the ball rang off the left post and bounced harmlessly away.

When all was said and done, Franklin Pierce held a 25-8 advantage in shot attempts, including a 15-3 edge in the second half. In addition, the Ravens posted a 15-4 advantage in shots on goal, including 10-2 in the second half, but could never find the equalizer.

Junior goalkeeper Sam Meza (Whittier, Calif.) made three saves and took the loss (6-6-0) in net for Franklin Pierce. Junior Ahmad Salamah piled up 12 saves to earn the win (5-2-0) in front of the Adelphi goal. The Panthers also picked up three team saves from defenders who kept the ball out of the net.

The Ravens return to the field on Tuesday, Oct. 22, when they remain home to host Saint Michael's in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Sodexo Field.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce men's soccer apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).