Freshman Niklas Laudahn picked a perfect time to record his second goal of the season as the Franklin Pierce University men’s soccer team defeated the no. 19 nationally-ranked Merrimack College Warriors 1-0 in a Northeast-10 Conference battle at Sodexo Field on Saturday Night.
With the victory, the Crimson and Grey move to 8-2, 6-3 NE-10 and the loss drops the Warriors to 10-3, 7-2 NE-10.
The win moves the Ravens from fifth to a tie for third in the NE-10 standings with Le Moyne as both squads are 6-3 in league play and have accumulated 18 points. Franklin Pierce has yet to play the Dolphins and will host them on Tuesday, Oct. 25th for a 4 p.m. senior day contest that could have huge postseason seeding implications.
This season, the Raven men are 2-0 at home on Sodexo Field against nationally-ranked opponents. Back on Sept. 28, FPU bested the previously no. 2 nationally-ranked SNHU Penmen 1-0 on Marius Preber’s 88th minute tally.
Laudahn matched Preber’s dramatics as the freshman defender headed home a Jacob Blixtfree-kick from 40 yards out in the 85th minute.
Freshman goalkeeper Jadel Poon-Lewis recorded his third shutout of the season as he stopped four shots and improved to 8-3 on the campaign.
The Ravens return to the pitch on Wednesday against Bentley at 7 p.m.