East Longmeadow, Mass., native
included in December 13 issue of Sports Illustrated which
hits newsstands Monday
RINDGE, N.H. (December 10,
2004) - Franklin Pierce freshman goalkeeper
James Thorpe (East Longmeadow, Mass./Bridgton
Academy) is featured in the "Faces in the Crowd"
section of the December 13th issue Sports Illustrated
which hits newsstands Monday.
Thorpe is the sixth individual from
Franklin Pierce to be featured in "Faces in the Crowd," the first
with direct ties to the men's soccer team. Women's soccer Head
Coach Jeff Bailey was featured following the Ravens fifth National
Championship season in 1999, but is also a former member of the
men's soccer team. Others who have been included in "Faces in the
Crowd" from the College are women's soccer All-Americans Meghan
Welcome (12/15/03), Pauliina Miettinen (11/10/97) and Nathalie
Geeris (12/26/94) along with men's basketball Hall of Famer Bob
Szklarz
(1968).
Thorpe, honored for his
record-breaking season in the Ravens goal, earned Northeast-10
Conference Co-Goalkeeper and Freshman of the Year honors as well as
All-New England and All-Conference accolades following his first
full season at the position after splitting time as a forward at
Springfield Cathedral High School and Bridgton Academy (Maine).
Thorpe's Division II-high 14
shutouts shattered the program's single-season record previously
held by Marno Olafson, who recorded ten clean sheets during the
Ravens Final Four campaign in 1991. He also led the Northeast-10
with a 0.68 goals against average, which is 0.33 below the previous
program record for a single-season set by Steve Quinones (1.01) in
1988.
Thorpe posted the top two scoreless
minute streaks in program history this fall, including a record
578:52 string that was halted in the Ravens 2-2 draw with No.
3-ranked Southern Connecticut State University in the New England
Regional final. The streak surpassed his own mark of 518:38 set
earlier in the year.
Thorpe, the first Conference
Goalkeeper of the Year and second Freshman of the Year in program
history, backboned a Ravens defensive unit that yielded a
program-record low 15 goals this season, besting the previous
record of 19 goals allowed set in 1995.
Franklin Pierce (16-6-2, 10-3
NE-10), ranked No. 10 in the final National Soccer Coaches
Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, is coming
off its tenth NCAA Tournament campaign in program history. The
Ravens claimed their first New England Regional title, advancing to
the quarterfinal round for the first time since 1995. Franklin
Pierce also reached the Northeast-10 Championship match for the
first time since joining the Conference prior to the 2000 season.
