For Immediate Release
November 30, 2011
South Easton, Mass. – The Northeast-10 Conference will have two schools competing in the upcoming National Semifinals of the Men's and Women's Division II Soccer Championships Thursday in Pensacola, Florida.
Franklin Pierce University's men's soccer team and The College of Saint Rose's women's soccer team will be competing in the respective Men's and Women's Division II National Championships this Thursday, December 1st on the campus of the University of West Florida.
For up-to-the-minute score updates for both games, follow the Northeast-10 on twitter @TheNortheast10. Both games will also be broadcast live through the NCAA website at ncaa.com.
Franklin Pierce will be taking on Lynn University Thursday at 6 p.m., while Saint Rose takes on Armstrong Atlantic University earlier that day, with the Golden Knights scheduled to begin their semifinal showdown at 3 p.m.
With a win, Franklin Pierce would take on the winner of the other semifinal matchup between Millersville University and Fort Lewis College Saturday, December 3 at 3:30 p.m.
To see the men's soccer championship bracket click here.
Should Saint Rose knock off Armstrong Atlantic, the Golden Knights would meet California State University, Chico or Grand Valley State University. Somewhat coincidentally, it was Grand Valley State that defeated Saint Rose in the semifinals last year. The Division II Women's Soccer National Championship game will take place Saturday afternoon at 12:30 p.m.
To see the women's soccer championship bracket click here.
Men's Soccer National Semifinals
Franklin Pierce vs. Lynn
Scouting the Ravens:
Franklin Pierce, the national title winners in 2007, will be looking to repeat the feat as they head south for their national semifinal showdown against Lynn on Thursday. The Ravens (21-0-1), who have already set a school record for wins, were ranked 2nd in the nation in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) National Poll.
Franklin Pierce, the Northeast-10 Conference regular season and tournament champions, defeated Southern New Hampshire University in the quarterfinals to advance to the final four. The lone-blemish on an otherwise perfect season thus far was a 1-1 tie against the University of New Haven on October 8th.
The Ravens, under the direction of head coach Craig Stewart, have used a stingy defense and a balanced offensive attack this season. Franklin Pierce has only allowed 11 goals on the season, and senior keeper Vinny Papageorgiou is among the nation's leaders in virtually every statistical category, including an eye-catching 0.49 goals against average.
Offensively, the Ravens are led by conference player of the year, Diego Tabares, who leads the squad with nine goals and 22 points. Paul Latif has added eight helpers to lead the team in that category.
Scouting the Fighting Knights:
Lynn, the only team remaining in the field, which will be heading north to compete in the national semifinals, enters the game with a record of 13-4-3. The Fighting Knights advanced to the final four with a 1-1 (4-2 in penalty kicks) defeat of Flagler University.
Representing the Sunshine State Conference and located in Boca Raton, Fla., Lynn is looking for the fourth men's soccer national championship in the program's history. Similarly to Franklin Pierce, the Fighting Knights use a stern defense, which allowed only 11 goals this season. Lynn, ranked 20th nationally, enters the national semifinals having knocked off five consecutive nationally ranked opponents.
Harald Grachalski leads the way offensively with 11 goals and 23 points so far this season.
Women's Soccer National Semifinals
Saint Rose vs. Armstrong Atlantic
Scouting the Golden Knights:
Saint Rose is making its fourth consecutive appearance in the national semifinals under the direction of head coach Laurie Darling Gutheil. The Golden Knights (22-1-1) were the Northeast-10 regular season and tournament champions, and were ranked 10th in the nation in the most recent NSCAA National Poll, which was released earlier this month.
Saint Rose has won ten straight games since suffering a loss to Merrimack College in mid-October and has outscored their opponents 33-3 over that span. The Golden Knights defeated 2nd-ranked California University of Pennsylvania in the quarterfinals, 1-0, to advance to the final four.
Offensively, the high-scoring Golden Knights, who led the country with a 3.58 goals per game average, are led by NE-10 Player of the Year Christina Cuffari and goal-scoring machine Carmelina Puopolo. Cuffari and Puopolo tied for team-high and league-high honors with 13 assists apiece, with Puopolo registering 16 goals during the season.
While the offense gets a lot of the attention, Saint Rose has been outstanding defensively, as well, as they have only allowed 12 goals all season long (10th-best in Division II). Goalkeeper Jessica Gerski has 0.61 goals against average this season in helping lead them to the national semifinals.
Scouting the Pirates:
Armstrong Atlantic, representing the Peach Belt Conference, heads to Pensacola with a record of 18-2-3. The Pirates have not lost a match since September 21, a stretch of 17 games, which has seen them post a 14-0-3 mark during that span.
Ranked 7th in the most recent NSCAA Poll, Armstrong Atlantic defeated the University of Tampa 2-1 in the quarterfinals to earn their berth in the semifinals. The Pirates are making their 5th NCAA Championship appearance in the last six years, and have never advanced this far.
Armstrong Atlantic, which is located in Savannah, Ga., has used a balanced scoring attack this season. Kristina Pascutti leads the Pirates with 12 goals this season.
The Northeast-10 is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 5,500 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in Conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
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