Box Score BOX SCORE
RAPID REACTION WITH HEAD COACH JOSH TAYLOR
When and Where: September 16, 2017 – Manchester, N.H. (Larkin Field)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 2, Le Moyne College 2
Records: SNHU 4-0-1 (1-0-1), Le Moyne 3-1-1 (0-1-1 NE10)
Sophomore Louka Masset (Paris, France) scored a pair of goals in the second half, as the 15th-ranked Southern New Hampshire University men's soccer team scratched out of a 2-0 hole to forge a 2-2 tie with No. 25 Le Moyne on Saturday afternoon at Larkin Field.
Trailing, 2-0, the Penmen finally made it on to the board in the 56th minute. Sophomore Romain Daniellou (Brieuc, France) sent a ball into the box that was chased down by junior Alex Satrustegui (Pamplona, Spain), who was taken out by diving Le Moyne goalkeeper Ben Beaury. Beaury was called for the foul and Southern New Hampshire was issued a penalty kick. Masset connected on the try with a hard shot that beat Beaury to cut the deficit in half at 2-1.
SNHU earned the equalizer in the first second of the 71st minute off a free kick from the left flank, following a Le Moyne yellow card. Daniellou served the ball into the middle of the box, where Masset used his head to redirect the ball and flick it into the right side.
The Penmen nearly grabbed the lead late in the 73rd minute, but Marriott's blast from just outside the box sailed narrowly over the crossbar. Le Moyne then had a chance less than a minute later, but Marek Weber's shot from in close went just wide to the left.
Southern New Hampshire had another opportunity to take the lead midway through the 77th minute, but the header by senior Michael Rowley (Cooperstown, N.Y.), off a cross from the left, went just high.
The Penmen kept the pressure on with an 80th-minute chance, as freshman Tom Marriott (Nottingham, England) sprung Rowley with a slick feed, but the captain's shot was smothered by Beaury, who went to the turf to corral it.
SNHU looked to have the go-ahead goal late in the 86th minute with a trio of rapid-fire shots from freshman Daniel Jones (W. Hartford, Conn.), Rowley and sophomore Jonathan Lach (Norton, Mass.), but Beaury and the Le Moyne defense were able to escape trouble. Then, with just 1:15 on the clock, Beaury saved the day for Le Moyne, as junior Olafur Einarsson (Esafjordur, Iceland) volleyed a shot toward the top right corner of the net, but Beaury dove to his right to snatch the ball from the jaws of defeat.
The frenzied action continued at the other end, as Seth Scarano sent a shot just over the crossbar with four seconds remaining to bring on overtime.
Masset's shot 2:49 into the extra session would prove to be the only save either goalie needed to make in the 20 minutes of extra time.
Junior goalkeeper Daniel Milton (Ajax, Ontario) made one save, while Beaury needed to turn away 12 shots.
Le Moyne stunned Southern New Hampshire just 1:37 into the match as Weber maneuvered into the 6-yard box with no one in front of him and punched the ball past Milton to make it 1-0.
The Dolphins put the Penmen further back on their heels at the 5:27 mark when the Le Moyne throw-in from the right sideline was cleared out of the box by an SNHU defender, but the ball went right to Tom McConway, who hit a low volley through traffic and into the bottom right corner of the net to double the lead.
Le Moyne nearly extended the advantage to 3-0 midway through the 31st minute with Scarano sending a header toward an open section of net, but the ball grazed the crossbar and rolled up over the top of the net and out of play.
Southern New Hampshire's most dangerous chance came a minute-and-a-half later off a direct kick from about 22 yards out, but the bid from Daniellou was gobbled up by Beaury.
Notes:
- The Penmen begin the season without a loss in their first five matches for the fourth straight year.
- This marks the fourth time in five games a Southern New Hampshire match has been decided by fewer than two goals.
- Masset's goals were his third and fourth of the season, as well as strikes No. 5 and 6 of his career.
- Southern New Hampshire held a 24-10 advantage in shots, including 18-4 in the second stanza, while corner kicks were even at 4-4.
- SNHU is now 74-8-7 (.881) over its last 88 matches dating back to the beginning of the 2013 National Championship season, while it is unbeaten in 63 of its last 68 (59-5-4; .897) at home.
Up Next:
The Penmen return to action Wednesday, Sept. 20 (7 p.m.) when they hit the road for a match with Assumption College. SNHU is back home Wednesday, Sept. 27 (4 p.m.) when it plays host to Southern Connecticut State University at Larkin.
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