Soccer Recap: Rank Disadvantage No Problem for Franklin

Franklin took a four-goal defeat the last time they faced off against Bridgewater-Raritan, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Warriors' defense stepped up to hand the Panthers a 1-0 shutout on Thursday. The victory was all the more spectacular given Franklin's disadvantage in MaxPreps' New Jersey soccer rankings (they are ranked 294th, while Bridgewater-Raritan are ranked 80th).

Franklin's win was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-4 and their overall record up to 4-9. As for Bridgewater-Raritan, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-6-1 record this season.

Franklin has already played their next match (against Watchung Hills Regional), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing. As for Bridgewater-Raritan, they will take on Montgomery at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.