Box Score BOX SCORE
When and Where: September 24, 2016 – Springfield, Mass. (Abdow Field)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 2, American International College 1
Records: SNHU 6-0-0 (4-0-0 NE-10), American Int'l 4-4-0 (2-2-0 NE-10)
Senior Enzo Giuliani (Toulouse, France) and graduate student Robert Brown (Brussels, Belgium) scored goals just under four minutes apart late in the second half to lead the fourth-ranked Southern New Hampshire University men's soccer team to Saturday evening's 2-1 come-from-behind victory against American International College at Abdow Field.
Trailing, 1-0, with 10:18 left in regulation, the Penmen gained the equalizer as grad student Yannis Becker (Sittensen, Germany) played a ball from the right corner where it bounced along the endline and into the box before Giuliani was able to put it into the left corner of the net to tie the match.
Becker then set up the eventual game-winning strike just 3:58 later when he booted a corner service into the box where Brown was able to get a head on it and find the back of the net to make it 2-1.
American International had one last rush with time winding down as Sam Jepson put a header on net, but graduate goalkeeper Nick Zucco (Ludlow, Mass.) was able to make a sprawling save with just over 10 seconds on the clock.
Southern New Hampshire and Zucco saw their respective shutout streaks come to an end early in the 58th minute as AIC grabbed the game's first goal when Jake Durham sent a cross into the middle of the box from the right flank and Ousmane Sangary out-ran a SNHU defender to the ball, knocking it into the left side of the net past a diving Zucco.
Notes:
-Zucco saw his NCAA Division II record personal shutout streak come to a close at 1023:12, dating back to last season, while Southern New Hampshire had its shutout streak snapped at 1132:03. The last time Zucco and the Penmen allowed a goal was Oct. 27, 2015 at Assumption College.
-SNHU went a full 11 matches without allowing a goal, falling one game short of the NCAA Division II record of 12, set by the University of Wisconsin-Parkside back in 1989.
-The last time Southern New Hampshire had trailed in a game was when it lost to Merrimack College on Oct. 24, 2015, while the last time SNHU was behind and came back to win was Oct. 17, 2015 at Adelphi University when it was down 1-0 and 2-1 before grabbing a 3-2 win. The last time the Penmen trailed by a goal in the second half and rallied to win it in regulation was when they defeated Bentley University in a Northeast-10 Championship quarterfinal on Nov. 1, 2011.
-Southern New Hampshire is now unbeaten in 13 straight dating back to last season.
-SNHU is now 64-3-4 (.930) over its last 71 matches dating back to the beginning of the 2013 National Championship season, while it is unbeaten in 56 of its last 60 (54-4-2; .917) at home.
-The Penmen outshot the Yellow Jackets, 22-6, including 13-4 in the opening stanza, and held a massive 9-0 advantage in corner kicks.
-Zucco stopped three shots, while Sebastian Tamayo made nine saves for the Yellow Jackets.
The Penmen return to action Wednesday, Sept. 28 (7 p.m.) when they take on Franklin Pierce University. The next home game for the Penmen is Wednesday, Oct. 5 (7 p.m.) when they play host to Queens (N.Y.) College under the lights at Larkin.
For the latest on Southern New Hampshire University athletics, follow the Penmen via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram. Sign up to receive text message alerts and e-mail newsletters about your favorite Penmen teams here.