Thorpe becomes first three-time All-American in program history, joins Ettienne on first team; Clifton selected to second team
Trio also headline four NSCAA/adidas All-New England Region selections 

RINDGE, N.H. (December 20, 2007) - Three members of the NCAA Division II National Champion Franklin Pierce University men's soccer team have earned All-America honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and adidas.

Seniors James Thorpe (East Longmeadow, Mass./Bridgton Academy) and Bisharra Ettienne (East Elmhurst, N.Y./Dominica State College) were both named to the first team, while grad student David Clifton (London, England) was selected to the second team. The three, along with senior midfielder Peter Petropanagos (Mississauga, Ontario/York University) comprise the list of four Ravens to earn NSCAA/adidas All-New England region honors - all of which were selected to the first team.

The three All-America selections match the second-highest single season total in program history, behind Franklin Pierce's 2006 record total of four. Thorpe and Ettienne's first team selections mark the second-straight year a record two Ravens in the same season have earned first team honors. The three All-America honorees brings Franklin Pierce's all-time total to 26 (15 under the guidance of Head Coach Marco Koolman since 2000) and the Ravens two first team selections brings their all-time total to ten in their Division II era (since 1988).

Thorpe becomes the first three-time All-America selection in program history, earning first team honors for the first time after collecting second team honors in 2006 and third team in 2005. He is now a four-time first team All-New England selection after also becoming the first four-time Northeast-10 Goalkeeper of the Year in Conference history and a four-time All-NE-10 first team pick.  

Thorpe led the NE-10 with 12 shutouts, while his 0.63 goals against average ranked second (10^th nationally) and his .786 save percentage ranked fourth while playing all 2,154:16 in the Ravens goal this season. In Conference play, Thorpe posted a Conference-low 0.52 GAA with a Conference-best eight shutouts to go with a .816 save percentage (2^nd). He was named Most Outstanding Defensive Player at the Final Four and he didn't concede a goal in 200 minutes of action, also notching two stops in a penalty shootout victory over 7^th-ranked Midwestern State University in the semifinals after the two sides played to a scoreless draw in which Thorpe made six saves.

Thorpe has wrapped up a four-year career in which he has nearly completely re-written the Franklin Pierce goalkeeping record books. He set an NCAA record for all divisions with his 8,391-minutes, 11-seconds, in goal over 93 career matches played, while his program and Northeast-10 record 49 shutouts are just one shy of the NCAA Division II mark. Thorpe's 0.66 career goals against average shattered the program record and set a new NE-10 standard, while his .811 career save percentage is good for second in program history.

Thorpe, who recently completed a successful appearance at the United Soccer League Showcase last weekend and awaits an invitation to the MLS combine in January, also holds program records for shutouts in a season (14, 2004), single season goals against average (0.45, 2006) and consecutive shutout minutes (578:52, 2004). 

Ettienne joins former All-American Christopher Joyce (2004-05) as just the second two-time first team selection in program history. He has also earned All-New England first team honors for the third-straight year and is a two-time NE-10 Defensive Player of the Year and three-time All-Conference first team pick.

Ettienne is the backbone of a Franklin Pierce defense that led the Northeast-10 with a 0.63 team goals against average (sixth nationally) and 12 shutouts (third). He also led all Raven defenders with three goals to go with an assist for seven points, netting one match-winning goal this year.

Ettienne has been a key member of a Franklin Pierce defensive unit which has ranked high among NCAA Division II leaders in each of his three seasons. The Ravens led Division II with a program-record 0.44 goals against average and 15 shutouts in 2006. In 69 career matches played (all starts), Ettienne has netted 13 goals (five match-winners) to go with two assists for 28 career points. He has been invited to play for Dominica's National Team in its upcoming 2010 World Cup Qualifiers against Barbados in February. Should Dominica win, they would play the United States in the next round of qualifiers.

Clifton earns his first All-America honor with his selection to the second team, while also being selected to the All-New England squad for the first time. The NE-10 Player of the Year is a two-time All-NE-10 pick and earned Most Outstanding Offensive Player honors at both the Final Four and New England Regional this fall. The grad student also earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America and All-District I first team honors this season as the MBA student has achieved a 3.618 cumulative grade point average. 

Clifton led the NE-10 with 53 points (2^nd nationally) and 25 goals (2^nd) to go with three assists in 19 matches this season. His seven match-winning goals led Franklin Pierce and shared the lead in the NE-10. Clifton set an NCAA Division II tournament record with nine goals this fall, netting nine of the Ravens 11 goals in their National Championship run - including their last eight of the season, capped by the winning goal in their 1-0 victory over 16^th-ranked Lincoln Memorial University in the final. His ten career NCAA Tournament goals are also a Division II record.

Clifton, the Daktronics New England Region Player of the Year, finished his two-year career at Franklin Pierce ranked eighth in program history with 33 career goals, while his 70 career points are good for 13^th in program history in 35 career matches. He also netted five hat tricks this season and was named NE-10 Player of the Week five times, including each of the last three weeks of the season.

Petropanagos rounds out Franklin Pierce's list of four All-New England picks with his second All-Region selection and first to the first team. He is a three-time All-NE-10 selection, earning first team honors twice. Petropanagos is the first three-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America and Academic All-District first team honoree in program history, having earned a 3.865 cumulative grade point average as a pre-med major at the University.  

Petropanagos, a holding midfielder who has also starred as a defender for Franklin Pierce over his career, is a key member of the Franklin Pierce defensive unit which led the Northeast-10 with a 0.63 team goals against average (sixth nationally) and 12 shutouts (third). Petropanagos has contributed a goal (first of career) and two assists for four points this season.

Petropanagos played 92 of a possible 93 matches over his four-year career and totaled a goal and eight assists for ten career points.

Franklin Pierce (17-2-4, 11-0-2 NE-10) captured its first National Championship in program history this fall, posting a 1-0 victory over Lincoln Memorial on December 2 in Orange Beach, Ala. The Ravens also collected their third-straight Northeast-10 regular season title before earning their fifth-straight NCAA Tournament berth (13^th overall), advancing to the Final Four for the third time in program history (1991, 2005, 2007).