When and Where: November 9, 2023 – New Haven, Conn. (Jess Dow Field)
Score: #7 seed Southern New Hampshire University 1, #6 seed Southern Connecticut State University 0
Records: SNHU 10-5-3, SCSU 6-8-3
Sophomore
Alejo Caceres (Cordoba, Argentina) scored in the 37th minute, as the seventh-seeded Southern New Hampshire University men's soccer team secured its third straight shutout with a 1-0 victory over sixth-seeded Southern Connecticut State University in an NE10 Championship semifinal Thursday night at Jess Down Field. SNHU advances to its ninth NE10 title match.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Caceres – 1 goal
- Junior Preston Neal (Windham, N.H.) – 1 save; shutout
KEY MOMENTS
- Southern New Hampshire broke the ice 8:39 before halftime when Caceres hit a low shot into the right side of the net that wound up being the only score of the contest.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Southern Connecticut 'keeper Devin Juan stopped six of the seven shots he faced.
- The Penmen dominated in shots, 22-6, including 8-1 in shots on target.
- Corner kicks were even, 4-4.
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire has now won three-in-a-row and extends its shutout streak to 341:33
- SNHU, which is in the NE10 Championship for the 23rd consecutive season, improves to 26-10-6 (.683) all-time in the NE10 postseason, including 4-1 against Southern Connecticut. In the last meeting, the top-seeded Penmen recorded a 5-2 victory against the second-seeded Owls in the 2014 title match.
- Southern New Hampshire will meet in-state rival Franklin Pierce University in the NE10 Championship match Sunday (Nov. 12) at 4 p.m. The top-ranked and top-seeded Ravens (16-0-1) edged SNHU, 1-0, at home in the regular season Oct. 28. The Penmen are 7-1 all-time in the NE10 title match.
- The Penmen are the second No. 7 seed ever to reach the NE10 finals. Le Moyne College also did it last season, falling to top-seeded Franklin Pierce, 2-0.
- Southern Connecticut leads the all-time series, 30-20-8. SNHU has captured 12 of the last 15 meetings, though the teams have split the last four. The Owls scored a 3-1 victory at home against SNHU in the regular season Oct. 21. The win snaps a two-match skid at Southern Connecticut for the Penmen, who pick up their first road win in the series since Sept. 26, 2018 (4-2).
- Caceres' goal is the second of his first season with the Penmen.
- Neal's third consecutive clean sheet is his sixth of the year and ninth of his career.
- SNHU is now 132-36-23 (.751) over its last 191 matches dating back to the beginning of the 2013 National Championship season.
WHAT'S NEXT
- The seventh-seeded Penmen travel to top-seeded and top-ranked Franklin Pierce for the NE10 Championship match Sunday (Nov. 12) at 4 p.m.
