Levantakis, Preber collect goal and assist each

RINDGE, N.H. (September 15, 2015) – For the third time in as many games, the Franklin Pierce University men's soccer team opened with multiple goals in the first 20 minutes, en route to a 4-0 win over Saint Michael's on Tuesday night at Sodexo Field. Graduate student forward Quincy Appah (Accra, Ghana) scored twice in a span of just 4:32 to start the Ravens on their way to the Northeast-10 Conference victory.

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

The first goal of the game would end up being the only one Franklin Pierce would need on Tuesday night, and it came in the 16th minute. Graduate student midfielder David Magee (Lurgan, Ireland) took a free kick from 30 yards out on the right side which Saint Michael's cleared back out of the penalty area. The clearance wound up back with Magee, who chipped the ball towards the backline. Freshman back Jordan Barnett (Grimsby, England) got his head to the service to direct it over the last defenders, where the ball found Appah. The latter put a one-touch finish into the top-left corner for his second goal of the season.

Not even five minutes later, in the 20th minute, Appah struck again to double the lead to 2-0. The play wound up with a two-on-one in the penalty area, just outside the six-yard box. Senior forward Marius Preber (Jessheim, Norway) was able to flick the ball across the goalmouth to Appah. Appah then deked around the goalkeeper and finished inside the right post for his second goal of the night.

The celebration had barely settled down from the 20th-minute goal when the Ravens struck again, in the 22nd minute, just 96 seconds later. About 20 yards out, to the left-wing side of the penalty area, sophomore back Liam Watt (Inverness, Scotland) worked the ball to senior midfielder George Levantakis (Lynnfield, Mass.). Levantakis appeared to attempt to cross the ball towards the far post, but instead wound up striking a ball which beat the keeper and snuck into the top-right corner for his first goal of the season.

The Levantakis goal would mark the end of the scoring in the first half, which was controlled by Franklin Pierce. The Ravens collected advantages of 5-2 in shot attempts, 5-2 in shots on goal and 4-1 in corner kicks while amassing the 3-0 lead. With the lead, Franklin Pierce would spend stretches of the second half in a defensive shell, as Saint Michael's piled up a 10-1 advantage in shot attempts over the second 45 minutes. However, only four of those shot attempts were on goal, and each was turned aside.

Meanwhile, Franklin Pierce scored the game's final goal on its lone shot of the second half. The play started with Appah in the midfield -- though he would not factor in the scoring on the play -- as the Ghanaian dribbled betwixt and around a pair of defenders near the midfield stripe and then played the ball down the left-wing side for Levantakis. Levantakis worked the ball into the penalty area on the left side and made his way towards the endline. From there, he slotted a pass through the box to Preber, who drilled home a one-time finish from the top of the six-yard box on the right side.

Franklin Pierce used a whole cadre of goalkeepers to shutout the Purple Knights on Tuesday night. Sophomore Jordan LeGuyader (Jersey, United Kingdom) made two saves in the first half before ceding the net to junior Aidan Abolfazli (Worcester, Mass.). Abolfazli made a pair of saves over the next 39:20, before sophomore Brian O'Reilly (Weymouth, Mass.) made the final stop over the remaining 5:40. LeGuyader (3-1-0) ultimately earned the win.

At the other end of the field, Saint Michael's senior Nicco Roque (0-1-0) made one save against five shots on goal while taking the loss.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, Sept. 19, when they remain home to host Stonehill 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 can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).