Box Score BOX SCORE
When and Where: November 14, 2015 – Manchester, N.H. (Larkin Field)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 3, Merrimack College 0
Records: SNHU 19-1-0, Merrimack 15-4-2
Graduate student Sofiane Tergou (Bitche, France) notched a goal and an assist and junior Gilbert Manier (Kigali, Rwanda) dished a pair of helpers to lead the third-ranked Southern New Hampshire University men's soccer team to a 3-0 victory against 14th-ranked Merrimack College in an NCAA Tournament second round match at Larkin Field on Saturday afternoon.
The Penmen, who are the region's top seed and were coming off a first-round bye, advance to the East Regional final for the first time since their National Championship season of 2013 by beating Merrimack, the fourth seed in the region. Southern New Hampshire will collide with 12th-ranked Long Island University-LIU Post (15-2-2), which ended SNHU's season on penalty kicks in the second round of the NCAA tourney a year ago. That match will take place either Nov. 19 or 20 at the highest remaining Atlantic seed. The University of Charleston (W.Va.) is the top seed in the Atlantic Regional and plays later in the evening at 7 p.m.
The Penmen wasted no time getting on the scoresheet as they seized an early 1-0 lead just 3:49 into the match. Graduate student Rayane Boukemia (Strasbourg, France) was able to get a touch on a loose ball in the box, guiding it to the left where Tergou ran on to it and blasted it into the back of the net.
The match remained a 1-0 affair until early in the 55th minute when the Penmen doubled their lead on an absolutely beautiful strike. Tergou sent a ball down to the left flank where Manier one-time crossed it into the right side of the box. Merrimack goalkeeper Lucas Rezende came out to challenge for the ball, but junior Michael Rowley (Cooperstown, N.Y.) was able to get his head on it and flick it past the leaping Rezende and into the right corner of the net.
A big match-changing event came late in the 60th minute when Southern New Hampshire was whistled for a yellow card and a penalty kick was issued to Merrimack. Joseph Briers took the shot for the Warriors and tried to go top-left corner, but senior goalkeeper Nick Zucco (Ludlow, Mass.) dove to his right and was able to reach up and get a hand on the ball, deflecting it off the crossbar and eventually out of harm's way. Briers had been 6-for-6 on penalty-kick opportunities coming into the match.
Southern New Hampshire sealed the victory early in the 86th minute as Manier sent a great thru-ball up the middle of the field for senior Sebastian Stezewski (New Britain, Conn.), who kicked it around Rezende and into the back of the net for the 3-0 lead.
Zucco made three saves for his ninth shutout of the season, including fifth straight. Rezende stopped six shots for Merrimack.
Notes:
- The Penmen are in the NCAA Tournament for the 21st time overall and are making their eighth straight appearance, which is the longest current active streak in Division II.
- Southern New Hampshire hosted NCAA regional play for the fifth straight year and the seventh time in the past eight seasons.
-Shots were even at nine apiece, while Merrimack held a slight edge in corner kicks, 9-7
-SNHU has not allowed a goal since Oct. 27 – a span of five full matches and 514:52. Zucco owns a personal shutout streak of 451:02.
-The Penmen earned some revenge of sorts after Merrimack handed them their only loss of the season on Oct. 24 – a 2-0 defeat at Larkin.
Up Next:
The Penmen will take on LIU Post, the region's No. 2 seed, in the East Regional final either Nov. 19 or 20. The match will take place at the home of the highest remaining seed from the Atlantic Regional.
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