When and Where: October 25, 2022 – Hooksett, N.H. (Mark A. Ouellette Stadium)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 5, American International College 0
Records: SNHU 8-5-3 (5-3-3 NE10), AIC 2-9-5 (1-7-3 NE10)
Junior
Luca Shubitidze (Leipzig, Germany) scored a pair of first-half goals, as the Southern New Hampshire University men's soccer team rolled to a 5-0 victory against American International College on Tuesday night in the regular-season finale at Mark A. Ouellette Stadium. The win earned the Penmen a quarterfinal home game in the NE10 Championship.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
KEY MOMENTS
- Subitidze opened the scoring just 3:43 into the contest burying a shot off a quick feed from Pinhancos.
- It was Pinhancos again setting up the second SNHU goal with a beautiful thru-ball that Gonzalez ran on to in the box. Gonzalez found the back of the net to make it 2-0 at the 14:08 mark.
- The Penmen stretched the lead to 3-0 early in the 33rd minute when graduate student Jaime Selva (Alicante, Spain) sent in a long ball from the left that Hermann headed into the back of the net.
- Shubitidze and Perez used a quick give-and-go to produce Shubitidze's second goal of the opening half to extend the SNHU advantage to 4-0 with 3:47 remaining.
- Daury cleaned up a loose ball at the left post off a rebound from a Perez shot that brought the score to 5-0 in the 57th minute.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Sophomore goalie Preston Neal (Windham, N.H.) made the only save he needed to in the first 56:43 of action, while junior Christian da Cruz (Ludlow, Mass.) stopped the two shots he faced over the final 33:17.
- SNHU outshot AIC, 24-7, including 9-3 in shots on target.
- The Penmen also held a 10-2 advantage in corner kicks.
NOTES
- The win nets the Penmen the No. 4 seed in the NE10 Championship and a home match in the quarterfinal round against the fifth-seeded College of Saint Rose. The two teams tied, 2-2, back on Oct. 11 in Albany, N.Y. The last time the two squads met in the NE10 postseason, they played to a scoreless draw, with the Golden Knights advancing on penalty kicks in Hooksett on Nov. 9, 2019.
- The last time SNHU scored five goals in a game was Sept. 22 of last season in a 5-1 win at home against Assumption University.
- The five-goal margin of victory is the largest for the Penmen since Oct. 9, 2018 in a 6-0 home triumph over the University of New Haven.
- Southern New Hampshire leads the all-time series with AIC, 22-2-0, and extends its unbeaten streak against the Yellow Jackets to 16 (15-0-1) dating back to the 2007 campaign. The Penmen have also won 10 straight at home against American Int'l, with their last loss in the series coming Oct. 1, 2005 (2-1). SNHU is outscoring AIC, 36-9, during the 16-match unbeaten streak.
- Shubitidze leads the team in both goals (8) and points (19).
- da Cruz made his Penmen debut when he came on in the second half.
- SNHU improves to 122-30-19 (.769) over its last 171 matches dating back to the beginning of the 2013 National Championship season.
- The Penmen are now 86-13-11 (.832) over their last 110 contests at home, including 24-6-4 (.765) at Ouellette Stadium.
WHAT'S NEXT
- The fourth-seeded Penmen will play host to fifth-seeded Saint Rose in an NE10 quarterfinal matchup on Saturday, Oct. 29 (4 p.m.) at Ouellette Stadium.
