When and Where: November 12, 2025 – Hooksett, N.H. (Mark A. Ouellette Stadium)
Score: #22 (3-seed) Franklin Pierce University 3, #6 (2-seed) Southern New Hampshire University 2
Records: SNHU 14-2-2, FPU 11-3-3
Senior Tyler Kraft (Londonderry, N.H.) tied the match in the 51st minute, but the sixth-ranked and second-seeded Southern New Hampshire University men's soccer team dropped a 3-2 decision to 22nd-ranked and third-seeded Franklin Pierce University in the NE10 Championship semifinals Wednesday night at Ouellette Stadium.
KEY MOMENTS
- Trailing, 2-1, just over five minutes into the second half, SNHU pulled even when junior Alex Pons (Castellón, Spain) sent a pass from the right flank into the near side of the box for Kraft, who ripped a low shot that made it through traffic and inside the far post.
- Guillermo Avendano buried his second goal of the game at 61:06 off a feed from DJ Tucker to put Franklin Pierce in front for good.
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire, ranked sixth in the United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25, had won 10 of its last 11, including seven-in-a-row, entering the match.
- Franklin Pierce, ranked 22nd in the national poll, is unbeaten in 10 of its last 11 (8-1-2), with its lone loss coming to SNHU back on Oct. 25 (1-0).
- SNHU dips to 29-11-7 (.691) all-time in 25 appearances in the NE10 Championship, including 2-8-3 (.269) against Franklin Pierce. The Ravens have now knocked the Penmen out of the NE10 Championship in four of the last five seasons. The loss also ends the NE10 postseason unbeaten streak for the defending champion Penmen at six (5-0-1).
- SNHU had scored first in 15 straight matches at home before the Ravens grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute. Wilmington (Del.) University was the last team to strike first on the Penmen at Ouellette back on Oct. 23, 2024 in a 4-0 victory.
- The Penmen outshot the Ravens, 17-10, including 10-8 in shots on target.
- Graduate student Alvaro Garcia (Castelldefels, Spain) made five saves.
- Franklin Pierce evens the all-time series with Southern New Hampshire, 32-32-7. The Ravens beat the Penmen for the first time since Oct. 28, 2023 (1-0), as they snap SNHU's three-match unbeaten streak in the series (2-0-1). FPU has now won three of four on the road in the series.
- Kraft's goal second goal of the season is the sixth of his career.
- Junior Martin Zapata (Pamplona, Spain) tied the match at 1-all. His second second of the season was the 11th of his two-year Penmen career.
- SNHU is 159-41-29 (.758) over its last 229 matches dating back to the beginning of the 2013 National Championship season.
- The Penmen drop to 107-16-18 (.823) over their last 141 contests at home, including 45-9-11 (.777) at Ouellette Stadium. SNHU is now 16-2-3 (.833) at home over its last two seasons, but sees is 16-match unbeaten streak at Ouellette end at 15 (12-0-3).
UP NEXT
- The Penmen will now await their fate for an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship. The NCAA Selection Show airs Monday, Nov. 17 (7 p.m.) on NCAA.com.
