The Franklin Pierce University men’s soccer team’s trip to the NCAA Division II Final Four is a crowning achievement in the history of the program.

While the Ravens have been there before, winning it all in 2007 along with a pair of other appearances, each time coming that close should be celebrated like it’s the very first time.

To be one of the four remaining teams out of 291 active DII members is not just impressive, it’s outright remarkable.

But those who call the FPU campus home or have over the last five years should be used to this type of domination.

It’s not like this is the first time that any program has been in a position like this. It is actually becoming quite the norm.

For those who don’t live in the area, Franklin Pierce University most likely is a bit of an unknown.

The school, which has an enrollment of about 1,300 students, is set all by itself on the outskirts of Rindge, with a car needed to do just about anything.

But somehow the school is also a magnet for prospective athletes.

There have been countless foreign-born players and those good enough to compete at the Division I level who have chosen FPU over other opportunities.

It is likely the track record and pursuit of excellence that draws them in. Previous success cannot be ignored and is something that can be used to attract athletes looking to win.

Since the start of the 2007-08 school year, four of the major programs at FPU have competed at a high level and this is just a way to celebrate those achievements.

Men’s Soccer
2011
The accomplishments of the 2011 season are well documented, but here is a quick breakdown. The Ravens are 21-0-1 and heading to the Division II Final Four in Florida to play Lynn University on Dec. 1. They won the Northeast-10 regular season and tournament titles, along with the Super Region 1 championship on Saturday. The team is currently on an 11-game-win streak, while having already set program records for wins in a season and longest unbeaten streak.

2010
Last year’s team was almost just as successful as this year’s. The Ravens made it to the finals of the East Regional, after winning the NE-10 regular season and tournament crowns, before falling 1-0 to Dowling, one step short of the national semifinals. They were 17-2-2 overall and enjoyed a long stay as the No. 1 team in the nation.

2009
The Ravens were 13-5-3 on the season, losing in the second round of the Division II tournament to NE-10 champion Le Moyne.

2008
Like the 2009 team, the 2008 version also won 13 games, going 13-8-2 overall. The Ravens made it to the NCAA DII tournament, but fell in the second round to Dowling.

2007
The 2011 team would like to repeat the success of the 2007 campaign. After losing in the NE-10 tournament semifinals, the Ravens of 2007 caught fire once they hit the NCAA tournament and it led to the only national championship in program history. The team finished 17-2-4, the last victory being a 1-0 win over Lincoln Memorial in the Division II title game.

Women’s Basketball
2010-11
It was the first season without superstar Johannah Leedham and a couple of injuries to key seniors made life a little more difficult for the Ravens. But the team still posted a record of 24-8 and made it to the East Region quarterfinals, losing on a buzzer beater.

2009-10
The Ravens spent much of the season ranked No. 1 in the country and it translated into a conference championship, East Region title and a return trip to the Elite Eight.
But after a win in the national quarterfinals, the Ravens’ quest to return to the national championship game was derailed by Fort Lewis in the Final Four, finishing 32-2.

2008-09
With the Leedham sisters dominating the court for FPU, going 29-6 overall, the Ravens had a season to remember. After easily winning the NE-10 and East Region crowns, they outgunned California (Penn.) in the Elite Eight and then won a defensive battle over Delta State University in the Final Four.
Yet FPU came up just short in a bid for the program’s first national championship, losing to Minnesota State, Mankato, 103-94.

2007-08
The dominance began this season with a trip to the Elite Eight.
Just one year removed from a first round loss in the NE-10 tournament, the Ravens earned an at-large bid to the NCAA’s and went on to win the East Region before falling in the national quarterfinals.

Baseball
2011
It seems as though every year, the Ravens are in the discussion as the best team in the Northeast and one of the top teams in the country. This past season, FPU lost one step short of playing for the East Region title and finished 40-14.

2010
While every season is a success for the FPU baseball team, this was probably the best and brightest with an overall mark of 43-17-1. The Ravens made it all the way to the national semifinals before falling to runner-up California, San Diego. They played four games in the NCAA DII Baseball Championships after winning the East Region.

2009
The Ravens won the NE-10 tournament and moved on to the East Regional this year, but lost both games to watch its season end much earlier than expected. The team was 37-18 overall.

2008
The 2008 season was one that also led to the NCAA DII Baseball Championships. The Ravens captured the NE-10 and East Region titles before losing both games in the college world series to finish 43-15.

Women’s Soccer
2011
This was a down year for the Ravens. The team battled through injuries and never really got things going. They missed the NE-10 tournament after a 6-8-3 regular season and subsequently the NCAA tournament, snapping a DII record of 19 straight appearances in the national tourney.

2010
The Ravens made it to the first round of the East Regional in 2010 before losing to Bridgeport. The team also played in the finals of the NE-10. They were 14-6-1 on the year.

2009
FPU went 18-5-1 overall and came up one step short of making it to the Final Four, losing to Saint Rose in the finals of the East Regional. The team also made it to the finals of the NE-10 tournament, where they fell to Saint Rose.

2008
It was another solid season for the Ravens in 2008, one year removed from one of the best in program history. FPU once again qualified for the NCAA tournament, but was knocked out by Saint Rose to finish 15-5-2.

2007
The 2007 campaign came to an end in the national championship game, where the Ravens lost to the University of Tampa in penalty kicks after a scoreless draw through regulation and two overtimes. FPU had won five titles prior to 2007 and has been stuck there ever since. The team won the New England Regional prior to wins in the national quarterfinals and the Final Four, finishing 18-2-5 overall.

This article appears in the Nov. 25, 2011, edition of the Ledger-Transcript.