When and Where: November 18, 2021 – Rockville Centre, N.Y. (RVC Sports Complex)
Score: Mercy College 1, #21 Southern New Hampshire University 0
Records: SNHU 13-4-1, MC 11-4-4

Sixth-seeded Mercy College converted a penalty kick in the 21st minute that proved to be the difference, as the 21st-ranked and third-seeded Southern New Hampshire University women's soccer team had its season come to an end in the opening round of the NCAA East Regional with a 1-0 defeat Thursday afternoon at the RVC Sports Complex.

KEY MOMENTS

• Mercy went in front, 1-0, at the 20:32 mark, as it drew a foul at the very left edge of the box and was awarded a penalty kick that Marlene Avalos booted into the back of the net.
• Southern New Hampshire generated a pair of quality chances later in the second half. The first came in the 73rd minute when sophomore Alyssa Anderson (Londonderry, N.H.) dribbled the ball in at the top-left corner of the 6-yard box, but Mercy goalkeeper Melissa Torres cut down the angle and Anderson could not get enough on the shot.
• Then in the 77th minute, graduate student Allyson Patterson (Seekonk, Mass.) sent a beautiful thru-ball into the box for freshman Rachel Gizzonio (Milford, N.H.), but Torres was able to smother it.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Sophomore goalkeeper Z Kaplan (Smithtown, N.Y.) made two saves.
• Torres turned away all six shots she faced for Mercy.
• SNHU outshot Mercy, 6-4, including 6-3 in shots on target.
• The Mavericks held a 3-1 edge in corner kicks.

NOTES

• Southern New Hampshire, which is ranked 21th in the latest United Soccer Coaches Division II National Top 25 Poll, began the season 12-0-1, but ended it by dropping four of its last five. All four losses came by one goal, with three of them finishing in a 1-0 decision.
• The Penmen drop to 1-4-3 (.313) all-time in the NCAA Championship, including 0-2-1 against Mercy. The Mavericks have now ended SNHU's season three times (2017, 2019, 2021), after the Penmen went unbeaten against Mercy in each of the three regular-season meetings (2-0-1).
• If you include the game-winning penalty kick in this one, the Penmen have had their last three seasons end on PKs in the NCAA postseason.
• The all-time series with Mercy is now tied, 3-3-2. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw at Penmen Stadium back on Oct. 5. The Mavericks are now unbeaten in the last three meetings (1-0-2) dating back to 2019.
• The Penmen finished the season outscoring their opponents, 29-11.
• SNHU falls to 56-19-11 (.715) over its last 86 matches dating back to the 2016 campaign.

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