Box Score NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Trailing 2-0 27 minutes into the game, top-ranked Southern New Hampshire University fought back for a 2-2 double-overtime men's soccer tie against No. 17 Merrimack College Wednesday evening at Martone-Mejail Field. The Penmen remain unbeaten on the season at 9-0-1 and 6-0-1 in the NE-10, while the Warriors are now 7-1-2 and 3-1-2 in the league.
The draw extends SNHU's unbeaten streak to 33 games dating back to last season, while the Penmen are unbeaten in their last 28 Northeast-10 Conference regular season and tournament contests.
Merrimack's Augusto Silva scored twice in the game's first 27:31 to stake the hosts to a 2-0 lead. At the 13:07 mark, following a defensive breakdown, Julio Leon Garcia passed a ball over to Silva, who found himself all alone with SNHU goalkeeper Dom DiMaggio (Rome, N.Y.). Silva put it home for his fourth goal of the season. In the 28th minute, Silva headed home a free kick by Ryan Miller to make it 2-0.
The Penmen halved the lead 8:57 before halftime. Sebastian Stezewski (New Britain, Conn.), who had entered the game minutes earlier, took a short pass from Miguel Carneiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and fired a laser from the top of the 18 that found the upper left corner for his sixth goal of the campaign.
Southern New Hampshire tied it up in the 58th minute. Jonathan Lupinelli (Mont de Marsan, France) sent a left-to-right corner kick into the box that Keegan Campbell (Norton, Mass.) headed home for his first goal of the season.
On another corner kick in the 67th minute, SNHU appeared to score on a free header, but the goal was waved off after a foul was called in the box. Merrimack's best chance to win it in regulation came with a minute when Miller fired a shot from the top of the 18 that nearly snuck in the top left corner, but DiMaggio made a diving save to keep the game deadlocked.
Merrimack had a golden opportunity with just over four minutes to go in the second overtime as Silva got past DiMaggio and had an open net, but his attempt hit the left post and trickled out of bounds.
DiMaggio recorded three saves, while Merrimack counterpart Jose Silva registered nine stops as the Penmen outshot the Warriors 23-13, including 12-4 after halftime. The Penmen also took 10 of the game's 13 corner kicks.
Southern New Hampshire faces another stern road test on Saturday, as it travels to No. 5 unbeaten and untied Southern Connecticut State University for a 5:00 match.
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