BOX
SCORE
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Adrian
Schippers (Ashby, Mass.) totaled two goals and an assist
to lead fifth-ranked Southern New Hampshire University to a 3-1
Northeast-10 men's soccer victory over Bentley University at Larkin
Field Tuesday night. The Penmen, who extended their unbeaten
streak to 14 games (12-0-2), improved to 13-1-2 overall and 10-0-2
in the NE-10, while the Falcons fall to 5-8-2 and 5-4-2 in the
league.
With the win, Southern New
Hampshire clinched the Northeast-10 regular season title for the
second straight year, and also for the second time since SNHU
joined the NE-10 in 2000. It also marks the first outright
regular season crown for the Penmen, as they shared last season's
title with UMass Lowell. Southern New Hampshire will be the
top seed and have home field advantage throughout the upcoming
Northeast-10 Tournament which starts November 1.
Bentley took a 1-0 lead 1:48 into
the contest. Harris Smirko delivered a through pass down the
middle that Eric Heuze, streaking in from the right flank, caught
up to. Heuze would collect the ball and fire a 12-yarder past
Penmen keeper Sean Lambert (Rehoboth,
Mass.). It marked just the second time all season the Penmen
have trailed, and the first since September 4 against Saint Thomas
Aquinas.
Southern New Hampshire would tie
the game in the 21st minute. Danny
Hernandez (Salem, N.H.) would attempt an initial shot that
glanced off the left post, but Schippers would collect the rebound
and put it home for the goal. The game remained knotted 1-1
at halftime.
Schippers would give the Penmen the
lead at the 49:24 mark. Standing at the top of the box,
Schippers took a feed from the right side by Hernandez and rifled a
shot past Bentley goalie Michael Nikiforov. It marked
Schippers' seventh game-winning goal of the season and
12th overall.
Hernandez added an insurance goal
with just over five minutes to play. An attempt by Schippers
was deflected by Nikiforov and glanced off the right post, but
Hernandez collected the rebound and fired into the open net.
Lambert made one save for Southern
New Hampshire while Nikiforov made eight stops as the Penmen
outshot the Falcons 20-8.
Southern New Hampshire plays its
final regular season home game Saturday night when it hosts
Southern Connecticut State University in a 7:00 tilt at Larkin
Field.
