Franklin Pierce Men's Soccer Captures 2007 NCAA Championship - Northeast 10 Athletics

Posted: Oct 05, 2020

Franklin Pierce already had a presence on the national soccer stage when the Ravens joined the Northeast-10 Conference in 2000. The women’s team had captured five national championships from 1994 through 1999. The men’s team had qualified for the NCAA Championship on eight occasions in its New England Collegiate Conference days, but now it was time for them to step into the national spotlight as well.

It was a process for the Franklin Pierce men’s soccer team, to be sure. The team made trips to the semifinal round of the NE10 Championship in each of its first three seasons in the league, and then returned to the NCAA tournament during the 2003 campaign. In 2004, the Ravens were NE10 runners-up and made an appearance in the national quarterfinal. In 2005, they were again an NE10 finalist and made a run to the NCAA Championship semifinal. In 2006, Franklin Pierce claimed its first NE10 men’s soccer title and made it four straight NCAA berths.

It would all come to a head on Dec. 2, 2007, just a few kicks of the soccer ball from the Gulf of Mexico, in the beachfront town of Orange Beach, Ala. (population: 5,441, as of the 2010 census). With a 1-0 victory over Lincoln Memorial, Franklin Pierce claimed the NE10’s first-ever men’s soccer championship. Graduate student Englishman David Clifton provided the game’s only goal with just 110 seconds to play in regulation, and senior goalkeeper James Thorpe stopped the only shot on his goal, as the Ravens earned a flight home with the trophy.

For head coach Marco Koolman, the contributions from his upperclassmen in the title game were indicative of the culture he had been building within the program. “The one thing we stress in this program is that we can all be great players that you need personality and character," said Koolman, following the match. "I think in those last two areas, these seniors have passed along that message to anyone who joined the program. I'm just so happy for these players, our University and alumni."

The title-game goal capped an incredible run through the national tournament for Clifton, who collected Most Outstanding Offensive Player honors at the conclusion of play. The Brit poured in nine goals over five games -- including a pair of hat tricks -- to post a Division II single-tournament scoring record which still stands to this day. Clifton had also scored once in the 2006 national tournament, and his 10 career goals is also a Division II NCAA Championship record.

For Clifton though, the chance to go out a champion meant more than all the lines in the record book. “[The goal] happened so fast, I just tried to lift it over and it went in," said Clifton, regarding his match-winner. "It's really nice to break records, but it's most satisfying to win as a team and represent the University."

Clifton was joined on the All-Tournament Team by four of his teammates: Thorpe, Bisharra Ettienne, Michel Vitulano and Frantz Francois. Thorpe, who posted three shutouts in the tournament to run his career total to 49, was named Most Outstanding Defensive Player.

Finally, the climb was complete. "For everyone involved in the program, it's been a long hard battle, but I am proud, happy, and delighted for our school," added Koolman. "It's great and wonderful to be the national champions."

Clifton concluded the year ranked second in the nation in scoring at 2.8 points per game on 25 goals and three assists as the team went 17-2-4 overall. During the course of the season they went 16 consecutive games without losing and in its five NCAA Tournament games the defense allowed just two goals. James Thorpe was honored as the NSCAA Division II Player of the Year at the end of the year while Koolman took home NSCAA Division II Coach of the Year honors. Thorpe was drafted in the fourth round of the MLS supplemental by the DC United in January of 2008.

Franklin Pierce Men's Soccer Links of Note:

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Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

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