Donovan nets pair in second straight game

RINDGE, N.H. (September 7, 2014) – Sophomore midfielder John Lochhead (Walpole, Mass.) sent a low shot through traffic and into the back of the net with 17:53 to play on Sunday afternoon to break a 2-2 tie and help the Franklin Pierce University men's soccer team to a 3-2 win over Bridgeport in non-conference play at Sodexo Field. After scoring two goals in the season opener at Post on Thursday, sophomore forward Dallas Donovan (South Yarmouth, Mass.) scored twice more on Sunday afternoon in the Ravens' home opener.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 1-1-0 (0-0-0 Northeast-10), while Bridgeport opens the season at 0-1-0 (0-0-0 East Coast). Sunday marked the second straight year the Ravens have bounced back from a season-opening loss with a win in Rindge over the Purple Knights.

The Ravens came out strong on Sunday afternoon and set a high tempo early in their home opener. The energy paid off, as the crimson and grey were able to strike twice in the opening 10 minutes, with both goals coming via Donovan, to jump to a 2-0 lead.

First, in the ninth minute, graduate student midfielder Bruno Fati (Brussels, Belgium) sent a long-range service into the penalty area from the left side. Donovan eventually corralled the ball to the right side of the penalty spot and put his third goal of the season into the left side of the net. Just 67 seconds later, Donovan's fourth of the season doubled the lead to 2-0. This time, graduate student midfielder Quincy Appah (Accra, Ghana) provided the setup, with a quick cross from the left side of the 18-yard box to the top of the six-yard box. Donovan was there to redirect it, but nearly sent it too high, as the ball clanged off the crossbar and across the goal line.

Despite the quick scores, Bridgeport refused to go quietly, as the Purple Knights struck in the 18th and 25th minutes to level the game at 2-2 well before halftime. In the 18th, Bridgeport was awarded a free kick from about 30 yards out in the middle of the field. Senior back Christoffer Olesen took the shot and picked the upper-right corner beyond the reach of Franklin Pierce freshman goalkeeper Jordan LeGuyader (Jersey, United Kingdom).

In the 25th, the Ravens got sloppy inside their own penalty area, which led to LeGuyader coming off his line to challenge Bridgeport sophomore forward Luka Ivanovic, who had the ball near the penalty spot. What appeared to be a miscommunication between LeGuyader and his defense left junior back Daniel Augenstein unmarked in the penalty area on the left side. Ivanovic used his heel to flick the ball over to Augenstein, who finished into the vacated net to tie the game.

From there, the game went without another goal until Lochhead's game-winner in the 73rd minute. After an initial thrust into the penalty area by the Ravens was stymied, Bridgeport failed to successfully clear the ball from danger. A misplay up the middle left the ball for Lochhead about 25 yards out in the middle of the field with space. Lochhead didn't get all of the shot, which stayed low to the turf, but the ball found its way through all the traffic in the 18-yard box and beat senior goalkeeper Agustin Prados for Lochhead's first collegiate goal.

The match featured lively action at both ends of the field, with Franklin Pierce finishing with a 20-17 edge in shot attempts. LeGuyader, making his collegiate debut, made two saves against four shots on goal to pick up his first career win (1-0-0). At the other end, Prados turned aside four of the seven shots on his net and suffered the loss (0-1-0) for Bridgeport.

The Ravens return to the field on Wednesday, Sept. 10, when they host Dominican (N.Y.) in a non-conference contest. Kickoff 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).