When and Where: November 23, 2025 – Hooksett, N.H. (Mark A. Ouellette Stadium)
Score: #6 (1-seed) Southern New Hampshire University 1, (4-seed) University of Bridgeport 0
Records: SNHU 15-2-2, UB 9-5-8
Graduate student Martin Fuentes (Pamplona, Spain) found the back of the net in the 76th minute and classmate Alvaro Garcia (Castelldefels, Spain) turned away all four shots he faced, as the sixth-ranked and top-seeded Southern New Hampshire University men's soccer team eked out a 1-0 victory against the ninth-seeded University of Bridgeport in an NCAA Championship third round tilt at Ouellette Stadium on Sunday.
KEY MOMENTS
- With the game mired in a scoreless deadlock, SNHU finally broke through with 14:11 on the clock. Sophomore Gabriel Castro (León, Spain) dropped a pass to the top of the box for graduate student Dani Gonzalez (Llanera, Spain), who one-touched a quick ball into the right side of the box. Senior Tyler Kraft (Londonderry, N.H.) chased it down near the endline, and sent a sharp pass across the goalmouth and Fuentes punched it in at the far left post.
- Garcia kept Bridgeport off the board with less than two minutes to go in regulation with a massive save. Enzo Beatrix ripped a shot from the left side of the box that deflected off a Penmen defender toward the near post, but Garcia dove and knocked it out of harm's way with a quick right hand.
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire, ranked sixth in the United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25, has won 11 of its last 13, including eight of nine.
- SNHU improves to 22-17-7 (.554) in 25 all-time NCAA Championship appearances, including 1-1 against Bridgeport. The Purple Knights came into Manchester and scored a 1-0 victory in the 1990 Northeast Regional.
- The Penmen outshot the Purple Knights, 21-5, including 11-4 in shots on target.
- Garcia stopped all four shots he faced for his sixth clean sheet of the season.
- The Penmen improve to 22-7-2 all-time against Bridgeport, including 12-2-1 at home. SNHU is unbeaten in 18 of its last 19 (17-1-1) against Bridgeport, including nine straight (8-0-1). The Penmen also extend their home unbeaten streak against the Purple Knights to nine (8-0-1), with UB having not defeated SNHU on the road since Nov. 10, 1990 (1-0). The last Bridgeport win in the series came Oct. 28, 2009 (1-0) at home. SNHU also toppled Bridgeport, 3-1, at home back on Sept. 17.
- Fuentes' goal is his 10th of the season and the 17th of his two-year Penmen career. It is his sixth game-winning goal of the season.
- SNHU is 160-41-29 (.759) over its last 230 matches dating back to the beginning of the 2013 National Championship season.
- The Penmen improve to 108-16-18 (.824) over their last 142 contests at home, including 46-9-11 (.780) at Ouellette Stadium. SNHU is now 17-2-3 (.841) at home over its last two seasons and is unbeaten in 16 of its last 17 at Ouellette (13-1-3).
UP NEXT
- The Penmen welcome in the top-ranked and fourth-seeded University of Charleston for an NCAA third round match Sunday, Nov. 30 (3 p.m.) at Ouellette Stadium.
