WORCESTER, Mass. (10/22/25) - The No. 22 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University men's soccer team remained unbeaten in Northeast 10 Conference play with a 3–1 road victory over Assumption on Wednesday evening.
Score: Franklin Pierce 3, Assumption 1
Records: Franklin Pierce (7-2-3, 4-0-2), Assumption (2-10-0, 0-7-0)
Location: Normand R. Marois '57 Field, Worcester, Mass.
Date: Wednesday, October 22, 2025
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Franklin Pierce controlled the tempo early, creating several strong chances through Joao Araujo (Madeira, Portugal) and Guillermo Rios (Asuncion, Paraguay). The Ravens forced multiple early saves from Assumption goalkeeper Cathal Carney, while Joaco Lauria Calvo (Salta, Argentina) nearly converted off a seventh-minute corner.
- Despite the early dominance, Assumption struck first in the 29th minute when Henrik Maehlum finished a pass from Sekou Kouyate to give the Greyhounds a 1–0 lead.
- The Ravens wasted no time answering back. Less than a minute later, Stepan Fiker (Prague, Czech Republic) threaded a ball through the defense to Julen Martin (Bilbao, Spain), who buried the equalizer to make it 1–1.
- Franklin Pierce took the lead in the 73rd minute when Calvo volleyed a loose ball back into the box following a corner, setting up Guillermo Avendaño (Luanco, Spain) for his team-leading eighth goal of the season.
- In the 83rd minute, Martin struck again—this time with a header off an Araujo corner—to secure his second goal of the night and third of the season, sealing the 3–1 victory.
- Assumption pressed late with a blocked shot from Maehlum in the 85th minute, but the Ravens held firm. Franklin Pierce closed out the match with a sequence of corners and a near-miss header from Nick Armour (Victoria, Canada) in the 87th minute to preserve the win.
BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS
- Franklin Pierce outshot Assumption 26–9, including a 16–2 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Ravens also earned 10 corner kicks compared to just one for the Greyhounds.
- Goalkeeper Karl Vernet (Miami, Fla.) finished with one save, while Assumption's Cathal Carney tallied 12 stops to keep the score close.
UP NEXT FOR THE RAVENS: Franklin Pierce returns home for a pivotal conference matchup on Saturday at 4:00 p.m., hosting the No. 14 nationally ranked Southern New Hampshire Penmen on Sodexo Field.
