BOX SCORE | RAPID REACTION WITH HEAD COACH JOSH TAYLOR | HIGHLIGHTS

When and Where: August 30, 2018 – Hooksett, N.H. (Penmen Stadium)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 6, St. Thomas Aquinas College 1
Records: SNHU 1-0-0, STAC 0-1-0

Sophomore Tom Marriott (Nottingham, England) and senior Alex Satrustegui (Pamplona, Spain) each scored a pair of goals to lead the Southern New Hampshire University men's soccer team to a season-opening 6-1 victory against St. Thomas Aquinas College on Thursday in the first soccer match at Penmen Stadium.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Marriott also dished the game's first assist to collect a career-best, 3five-point afternoon.
• Senior goalkeeper Daniel Milton (Ajax, Ontario) made four saves, including three key stops with SNHU holding just a two-goal margin early in the second half. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Following a 35-minute injury delay midway through the 14^th minute, Marriott helped put the Penmen on the board early in the 18^th with a long thru-ball up the right side for graduate student Jonathan Cruickshank (Diego Martin, Trinidad & Tobago), who slotted a low shot inside the near post to make it 1-0.
• St. Thomas Aquinas would tie the game just 59 seconds later when a corner service was inadvertently headed in at the far right post by an SNHU defender trying to clear the ball.
• Marriott would give the Penmen the lead for good at the 22:11 mark when he converted a penalty kick.
• The score would stay 2-1 through halftime, with Satrustegui needing just 18 seconds to give the hosts a two-goal cushion in stanza No. 2. Last year's second leading scorer in the NE10 ran onto a bouncing ball and went in alone on the goalkeeper before finding the back of the net.
• Satrustegui struck again in the 62^nd minute off a great ball chipped across the box from grad student João Brum (Ribeira Grande, Portugal) to make it 4-1.
• Marriott made good on his second penalty kick late in the 78^th minute to open it up.
• Junior Jonathan Lach (Norton, Mass.) put the exclamation point on the victory early in the 84^th minute, corralling a nice feed from Marriott near the left corner, before erasing a defender with an excellent individual effort on the endline and scoring from a tight angle inside the far post. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• STAC goalkeeper Cameron Turner stopped six shots.
• The Penmen outshot the Spartans, 23-6, while corner kicks were even at 7-all.
• The match, which saw 19 fouls committed, also witnessed six yellow cards issued.

NOTES

• Southern New Hampshire captures its fifth straight season opener.
• The six goals are the most for the Penmen in a single game since Oct. 27, 2015 when they defeated Assumption on the road, 6-1.
• Marriott entered the match with four career points on four assists, before erupting to eclipse that mark in just 90 minutes.
• It is the third career two-goal game for Satrustegui, who has now scored in 14 of the 18 matches he has played in with the Penmen.
• SNHU earns its first victory at Penmen Stadium, after going 62-7-6 (.867) over its last 75 contests at Larkin Field.
• SNHU is now 82-11-9 (.848) over its last 102 matches dating back to the beginning of the 2013 National Championship season.

UP NEXT

• The Penmen are back in action Saturday, Sept. 1 (1 p.m.) when they play host to Chestnut Hill at Penmen Stadium. 

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.