For Immediate Release

December 13, 2011

Courtesy of the Franklin Pierce Athletics Communications Staff

Rindge, N.H. - The Franklin Pierce University men's soccer team was honored by the NSCAA on Friday as it picked up a Team Academic Award from the organization. To earn an NSCAA Team Academic Award, a college men's or women's soccer team must post a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Franklin Pierce received the recognition after the Ravens posted a 3.12 GPA during the past year.

The team academic award is the latest honor for Franklin Pierce, which has demonstrated outstanding work in the classroom this season. In late November seniors Tom Reilly, Vinny Papageorgiou and Victor Goncalves were named to the 2011 CoSIDA Academic All-District I First-Team for producing GPAs of 3.30 or higher. Reilly was then named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First-Team.

Franklin Pierce has proven to be one of the most successful programs in the nation at the Division II men's soccer level over the past several seasons, including this year. In addition to the academic awards won by the 2011 Ravens, the squad has also produced outstanding results on the field. Franklin Pierce posted a 21-1-1 record this season, which was a program record for wins in a single season. The Ravens also produced the first unbeaten regular season in program history as they compiled a 16-0-1 mark.

Success wasn't just limited to the regular season, but also the postseason as Franklin Pierce won the Northeast-10 Conference regular season and tournament titles for the second-straight year, while also claiming the No. 1 seed in Super Region 1 of the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Ravens advanced to the Final Four for the fourth time in program history, joining the 1991, 2005 and 2007 squads in accomplishing that feat.