ERIE, Pa. (December 5, 2019) – No. 18 nationally-ranked Franklin Pierce University men's soccer graduate midfielder Javier García Borrás (Alzira, Spain) converted a penalty kick with 30 seconds left in double-overtime to send the Ravens on to the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Super Regional 1 Quarterfinal game with a 2-1 victory over the no. 9 seeded Post University Eagles Thursday morning at the McConnell Family Stadium in Erie, Pa.

With the win, the Ravens advance to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2011. They improve their record to 15-3-2 while the Eagles campaign ends at 16-4-3. The loss snapped Post's eight-match winning streak. Pierce will play no. 10 nationally-ranked and no. 3 seed the University of Charlestown – West Virginia who upended host and no. 2 seed Gannon University 3-0 later Thursday afternoon. The teams will play each other on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

FPU was awarded a PK with 30 ticks left as a red card was called on Eagles midfielder Eden Gendler after he attempted to slide tackle senior midfielder Marc Forner (Silla, Spain) down in the Raven attacking end. García Borrás took the attempt and knocked home the game-winner to the lower right portion of the net sending Pierce to the Super Regional 1 Championship Match.

García Borrás had that goal and an assist in a three-point effort on three shots. Post held the edge in shooting 17-to-12 and in corner kicks 7-to-6.

Goalkeeper Clay Thomas (Franklin, Tenn.) stopped a season-best six shots in the long-distance win improving his record to 8-3-2 on the year. David Mollenthial made five saves in the defeat for the visiting squad as his season wrapped up at 13-4-3.

The Ravens cracked the scoring column first 13 minutes into the game. There was a counterattack opportunity at midfield that García Borrás started. He moved swiftly down the right sideline and placed perfectly a long through ball to teammate Yannik Felber (Vallendar, Germany). Felber had a one-on-one with a defender and couldn't shake him so he roped a long shot 30 yards out to the left of the goal past the diving Mollenthial for the games first tally.

Three minutes later, the Eagles netted the equalizer as Gendler cleaned up a rebound off a blocked shot into the lower right corner of the cage for his first score of the campaign.

Raven sophomore forward Isak Helgason (Kopavogur, Iceland) had the other lone Raven shot on a breakaway attempt, but his shot was just a bit wide off the mark. Post outshot the Ravens 8-to-2 in the first stanza. 

In the second half, the crimson and grey had two golden chances in the 67th and 68th minute to take the lead. Post turned the ball over in the Ravens attacking zone. Felber tapped a pass to Antonio Ferreira (Madrid, Spain) who had a one-on-one chance with the goalie. Ferreira cranked a shot towards the high left part of the cage, but Mollenthiel leaped and saved the shot with one arm. Mollenthiel came up huge off a free-kick towards the top right corner of the cage as he punched away García Borrás freeboot.

Pierce outproduced their counterparts 8-to-6 in second-half shots and 5-to-0 on corner attempts. Both teams in the overtime quarters had about equal shot attempts (Post 3, Franklin Pierce 2), but it was the Ravens who came away victorious in double-overtime.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://fpuravens.com). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (https://shopfpuravens.com). You can also follow the men's soccer team on Twitter (https://twitter.com/fpumsoccer), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/fpumsoccer/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fpumsoccer/).