PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 9, 2021) – The no. 2 nationally-ranked Franklin Pierce University men's soccer team held NCAA Division I program Providence College to no shots during the opening 64 minutes as the Ravens defeated the Friars 2-1 Friday evening on Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium. The win keeps FPU unblemished at 3-0-0 while PC dropped to 4-4-1.

Providence is coming off a 2019 season in which they finished 16-7, 6-3 Big East Conference with an appearance in the conference championship game and three NCAA Tournament Games. The Friars had their final three games of the regular season canceled to do COVID-19 concerns. Franklin Pierce graduate and former head coach Craig Stewart and current head coach Ruben Resendes worked together to get a game in.

The Ravens defense was a wall again as they allowed no shots and only four corner attempts in the first half. FPU held a 2-0 advantage before PC's first shot and only score a header by Adam Riis in the 65th minute. The Crimson and Gray outshot their opponents 11-4. 

Sophomore goalkeeper Kosta Maniatis (Montreal, Quebec) got his second start in net on the year and made two saves to improve to 2-0-0. Rimi Olatunji took the loss as he allowed the first goal in the first half.  

FPU put a shot on net immediately just 1:43 into the contest which was turned away by the Friars goalkeeper. Pierce tallied the opening marker of the game an unassisted goal by graduate forward Pedro Juan Vicente (Elche, Spain) in the 7th minute. A few minutes passed until they had another attempt, this time to make it 2-0, but the shot was off to the right of the cage. At the 34 minute mark, a cross was headed back out to the foot of junior midfielder Marco Perez (Elda, Spain) and he shot right at the net that was saved again by the opposition. Perez's chance was the final one of the half as the Ravens held a 1-0 lead.

Pierce netted an insurance marker in the 49th minute as graduate midfielder Aaron Acevedo Artes (Valencia, Spain) roped a low cross through from the far post to graduate forward Miguel Angel Pastor Gutierrez (Valencia, Spain) who poked the ball with his right foot into the open net.

Following their first shot and goal, the Friars kept attacking and in the 66th minute, Brendan McSorley's game-tying shot was high and out of play. It was the last shot of the game for the hosts as Armaan Wilson collected his second yellow card in the 80th minute and PC finished the match down a man.

In the 84th minute, the Ravens were awarded a penalty kick when Perez was tackled one-vs-one in the box gliding through the left side. He took the penalty chance and blasted a shot attempt high and wide to the left. Pierce remained on the attack in the final moments as they put three more shots on the cage.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://fpuravens.com). 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 apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (https://shopfpuravens.com). You can also follow the men's soccer team on Twitter (https://twitter.com/fpumsoccer), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/fpumsoccer/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fpumsoccer/).