When and Where: November 30, 2025 – Hooksett, N.H. (Mark A. Ouellette Stadium)
Score: #6 (1-seed) Southern New Hampshire University 2, #1 (4-seed) University of Charleston 0
Records: SNHU 16-2-2, UC 17-1-4
Graduate student Dani Gonzalez (Llanera, Spain) snapped a scoreless deadlock early in the second half, as the sixth-ranked and top-seeded Southern New Hampshire University men's soccer team took down the No. 1-ranked and fourth-seeded University of Charleston in an NCAA Championship third round contest at Ouellette Stadium on Sunday. The Penmen are in the national quarterfinals for the first time since 2013.
KEY MOMENTS
- SNHU put the first goal on the board just 1:54 into the second half when freshman Gabi Barroso (A Coruña, Spain) delivered a ball from well outside of the box on the left to the doorstep for Gonzalez, who headed the ball to the left post, where it ricocheted off and into the goal.
- A tremendous defensive play kept it 1-0 in the 69th minute when the Golden Eagles tried to take advantage of chaos in front, with Caio Moraes ripping a shot that seemed destined for the back of the net, but junior back Inigo Iriarte (Pamplona, Spain) was there to make the stop and clear the ball out of harm's way.
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire, ranked sixth in the United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25, has won 12 of its last 14, including nine of 10.
- Charleston, ranked No. 1 in the national poll, suffers its first loss of the season after carrying a 21-match unbeaten streak into the match. It is SNHU's first upset of the No. 1 team in the country since United Soccer Coaches (formerly the National Soccer Coaches Association of America) assumed responsibility of the national poll to start the 1996 season.
- The Golden Eagles, who entered the day with 16 shutouts to their credit, had allowed only five goals all year and not more than one in any match all season.
- Charleston, who has made the NCAA National Championship match three times in the previous eight seasons – winning it in both 2017 and 2019 – was 23-1-5 over its last 29 matches before being toppled by the Penmen. Dating back to the beginning of the 2014 campaign, the Golden Eagles were 229-19-16 (.898) before Sunday's defeat.
- SNHU improves to 23-17-7 (.564) in 25 all-time NCAA Championship appearances, including 1-0 against Charleston. The Penmen advance to the national quarterfinals for the 12th time in program history, but first since 2013. SNHU will meet sixth-seeded Gannon University, which it has played once in its history on Sept. 20, 1986. The Golden Knights secured a 1-0 victory on the neutral pitch.
- The Penmen outshot the Golden Eagles, 12-7, including 7-3 in shots on target.
- Graduate student Alvaro Garcia (Castelldefels, Spain) stopped both shots he faced for his seventh clean sheet of the season.
- The Penmen improve to 2-0-0 all-time against Charleston, after collecting a 2-1 victory at home back on Sept. 11, 1993.
- Gonzalez' sixth goal of the season is the ninth of his Penmen career.
- Junior Charlie Preus (London, U.K.) sealed it with 3:33 left in the contest. It was the fourth goal of the season for Preus, who also has nine in his Penmen career.
- SNHU is 161-41-29 (.760) over its last 231 matches dating back to the beginning of the 2013 National Championship season.
- The Penmen improve to 109-16-18 (.825) over their last 143 contests at home, including 47-9-11 (.784) at Ouellette Stadium. SNHU is now 18-2-3 (.848) at home over its last two seasons and is unbeaten in 17 of its last 18 at Ouellette (14-1-3).
UP NEXT
- The Penmen play host to 14th-ranked and sixth-seeded Gannon University in an NCAA quarterfinal match Saturday, Dec. 6 (3 p.m.) at Ouellette Stadium.
