FPU ends Hounds season on penalty kicks in NE-10 playoffs

Assumption 0, Franklin Pierce 0

RINDGE, NH --- Sixth-seeded Assumption College and third-seeded Franklin Pierce University played 110 minutes of scoreless mens soccer here SUNDAY in the quarterfinal round of the Northeast-10 Conference playoffs at Sodexho Field.

The Ravens however by virtue of a 4-2 advantage in penalty kicks advance to the semifinal round WEDNESDAY. This game will officially end as a 0-0 tie.

In other quarterfinal action: No. 8 Saint Anselm upset No. 1 Southern New Hampshire (1-0), No. 2 Le Moyne defeated No. 7 Bentley (1-0) and No. 4 Southern Connecticut defeated No. 5 Merrimack (2-1).

For the second time in Greyhounds mens soccer playoff history they have played a scoreless double-overtime tie only to exit in the first round, In 2000, then New Hampshire College (now Southern New Hampshire) advanced 5-4 on penalty kicks.

Sophomore midfielder DIEGO TABARES (Seekonk, MA/Seekonk), sophomore midfielder VICTOR GONCALVES (Rio de Janiero, Brazil/Colegio Santo Inacio), sophomore midfielder PAUL LATIF (Newcastle, England) and postgraduate midfielder FRANTZ FRANCOIS (West Palm Beach, FL/Palm Beach Lakes) connected on attempts for the Ravens.

Hound leading scorer, junior forward STEVE BLAISDELL (Peabody, MA/Bishop Fenwick) and freshman forward TOM CARROLL (Belford, NJ/Middletown North) scored the two penalty kicks for the Greyhounds.

This game was a tale of two goalkeepers as Hounds junior BRANDAN SULLIVAN (Halesite, NY/Saint Dominic's) made five saves to post his conference-leading ninth shutout of the season. He lowered his goals-against average to a stingy 0.77. Sullivan finished the season with four shutouts in his last five games blanking Merrimack (2-0), Bentley (0-0) and Stonehill (1-0) and surrrendering one goal in a 1-0 loss last week to the Ravens.

On the other side the Ravens sophomore VINNY PAPAGEORGIOU (Wilmington, MA/Wilmington) made three saves to post his eighth shutout.

The Greyhounds finish their season 9-6-3 overall, while the Ravens are now 12-3-3.

CLICK HERE for Assumption-Franklin Pierce Box Score