Information Provided by Franklin Pierce Sports
Information
RINDGE, N.H. (September 4, 2008) – Former Franklin Pierce
University All-America goalkeeper James Thorpe (East Longmeadow,
Mass./Bridgton Academy), the 2007 National Soccer Coaches
Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II Player of the
Year, collected a gold medal as his DC United team captured its
second Lamar Hunt US Open Cup title with a 2-1 victory over the
Charleston Battery at historic RFK Stadium last night.
Thorpe, who was in DC United’s 18-man squad as its backup
goalkeeper for the final, had a front-row seat as his club captured
its second US Open Cup championship - and the most decorated club
in Major League Soccer (MLS) notched its 12th major domestic and
international title. As part of the official squad, Thorpe received
a gold medal in the postmatch ceremony after a second half goal
from Fred in the 50th minute broke a 1-1 deadlock.
Thorpe, selected by DC United in the fourth round of the 2008 MLS
Supplemental Draft, has seen all of his game action for United in
the reserve division. However, he has been a regular for the first
team, appearing as the reserve goalkeeper in 12 matches since July
1 – including each of United’s last three matches.
Thorpe, the first three-time All-America selection in program
history and the first four-time NE-10 Goalkeeper of the Year in
Conference history, capped a record-breaking four year career at
Franklin Pierce by leading the Ravens to the 2007 National
Championship. He completely re-wrote the Franklin Pierce
goalkeeping record books, setting NCAA records for all divisions
with his 8,391-minutes, 11-seconds, in goal and 93 career matches
played. His program and Northeast-10 record 49 shutouts are just
one shy of the NCAA Division II mark, while his 0.66 career goals
against average shattered the program record and set a new NE-10
standard and his .811 career save percentage is good for second in
program history. The Ravens posted an 82-16-17 record over four
years with him in goal, including a 41-4-5 mark in Conference play
– going 28-0-5 over his final 33 regular season matches in
the NE-10.
Franklin Pierce (1-1-0, 0-0-0 NE-10) is back in action on Sunday,
when it visits No. 9 Dowling College in a rematch of last
year’s NCAA II quarterfinal, which the Ravens won 2-1 en
route to their first National Championship. The match was moved to
Sunday at 3:30 p.m., due to an unplayable weather forecast for
Saturday.
