Win comes against a team, which was ranked in the national polls the previous week

RINDGE, N.H. (October 3, 2012) – The Franklin Pierce University men’s soccer team scored two late goals to break a 1-1 tie and grab a 3-1 victory over Southern Connecticut State on Wednesday at Sodexo Field in Rindge. The Ravens won their fourth straight to improve to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the Northeast-10, while the Owls dipped to 4-3-1 and 3-3-1 in league play.

Franklin Pierce found itself deadlocked with SCSU in a 1-1 tie late in the second half after Francisco Lara scored the equalizer in the 74^th minute off a shot from a corner kick from Mario DiMiceli.

The goal failed to unnerve the Ravens and two minutes later they went back on top when graduate forward Ryan Ruffing (Westborough, Mass.) chipped in a crossing pass from junior forward Gareth Dudney (North Andover, Mass.) to make it 2-1.

Dudney wasn’t finished with his playmaking skills as six minutes later he set up another goal, this one coming from senior midfielder Marc Santos (East Hartford, Conn.) at the top of the box into the lower left corner of the net.

It was Ruffing’s third tally of the season and the second time he scored the match winner. For Santos, it was his first marker of the campaign. Dudney was credited with an assist on both goals, which moved him into the team lead with four helpers, while also giving him double-digit points at 10.

It also marked the second-straight match Dudney assisted on the game-winning goal as on Saturday he sent a pass over to senior forward Greg Giguere (East Bridgewater, Mass.), who buried the only marker in a 1-0 win over Saint Anselm.

Franklin Pierce jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 34^th minute when senior back Tyler Rosa (Rehoboth, Mass.) sent a long stretch pass to freshman middie Nico Mueller (Mannheim, Germany), who chested the ball down and fired off a strike to the lower right corner of the goal for his third tally of the season. Rosa garnered an assist on the play for his first point of the season.

Graduate goalkeeper Jake Wright (Los Angeles, Calif. ) made three saves to earn the win and run his record to 7-2. The victory came just two days after he was named the NE-10 Goalkeeper of the Week for the first time in his career. Greg Cumpstone started in net for the Owls and was tagged with the loss to fall to 4-3-1.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Saturday when the Ravens travel to face New Haven at 7 p.m.

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/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce men’s soccer apparel can do so at the athletic department’s brand new online store at athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)