For Immediate Release
August 8, 2012
Ravens ranked third and Penmen seventh in Division II national list
South Easton, Mass. – Franklin Pierce University ranked third and Southern New Hampshire University ranked seventh in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division II men's soccer nationwide preseason poll, which was released on Tuesday.
To view the full poll, please click here.
Last season, Franklin Pierce and So. New Hampshire squared off against one another in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship and then again in the NCAA national quarterfinals, with Franklin Pierce earning 1-0 victories in both contests. The Ravens also defeated the Penmen, 2-1, in the lone regular-season matchup between the teams a year ago.
So. New Hampshire will visit Franklin Pierce on September 15 in Northeast-10 play.
Franklin Pierce eventually fell to Lynn University, 1-0, in the national semifinals last season, marking the Ravens' only loss of the year in a 21-1-1 campaign. They also went 12-0-1 in Northeast-10 action.
This year, the Ravens will be guided by first-year head coach Ian Clerihew and will look to overcome the loss of some key seniors, including Northeast-10 Player of the Year Diego Tabares, Goalkeeper of the Year Vinny Papageorgiou and Defensive Player of the Year Tom Reilly.
Meanwhile, the Penmen, who went 18-4 overall and 11-2 in conference play in 2011, return their top three offensive players for their senior seasons in Chris Tsonis, Jordan Branco and Ruben Resendes.
Tsonis led the Northeast-10 in goals (17) and points (38) last season, while Branco tied for second among conference leaders with 10 goals and also chipped in six assists. Resendes totaled 11 assists to lead the Northeast-10 in that category.
The 2012 Northeast-10 Men's Soccer Preseason Poll will be released on Wednesday, August 22.
The Northeast-10 Conference 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 6,000 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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