CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
Postseason admission in all rounds of NE10 fall championships will be $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and children. Current NE10 students, with valid ID, will be admitted free of charge.
No. 1 Franklin Pierce 0, No. 8 American Int'l 0 (FPU Advances on PK's)
Box Score
American International pushed the No. 1 team not only in the NE10, but in the country, to it's absolute limit in the quarterfinals. A scoreless draw had to be decided in six penalty kicks, ended when Thomas Esperoe scored to advance Franklin Pierce to the semis. Jeronimo Ferrando Ferri missed the opening shot for FPU, but AIC leveled the score in the third round with a miss from Gabriele Valerio. A Lucas Morales-Fernandez miss - AIC's keeper - openend the door for the Franklin Pierce win. Morales-Fernandez makde nine saves in the shutout. Diego Montoya Casillas made three stops for the Ravens.
No. 2 Bentley 0, No. 7 Southern New Hampshire 2
Box Score
Recap courtesy SNHU Athletics
Seniors Thore Ulstein (Vennesla, Norway) and Luca Shubitidze (Leipzig, Germany) each scored goals and junior Preston Neal (Windham, N.H.) stopped all three shots he faced, as the seventh-seeded Southern New Hampshire University men's soccer team upset second-seeded Bentley University, 2-0, in the NE10 Championship quarterfinals Saturday at the Bentley Soccer Field.
Southern New Hampshire has now won two-in-a-row, following a three-match skid. SNHU, which is in the NE10 Championship for the 23rd consecutive season, improves to 25-10-6 (.683) all-time in the NE10 postseason, including 3-0 against Bentley. In the last meeting, the top-seeded Penmen downed the fourth-seeded Falcons, 2-0, in the 2015 semis.
No. 3 Adelphi 0, No. 6 Southern Connecticut 1
Box Score
Recap Courtesy Southern Connecticut State Athletics
Zico Groenveld scored the game's only goal just minutes into the second half. Ozar Razo threw the ball in from midfield to Matt Surette just above the box. Surette's header found Groenveld streaking through the middle of the field, who put the ball past Adelphi's keeper for a score.
On the other end of the field, Devin Juan put on an all-time performance for the clean sheet. Juan was tested often down the stretch as the Panthers began to press and came away with the five-save shutout. It was Southern's ninth shutout in NE10 tournament play, all-time.
In addition to it being the Owls' first tournament win in six years, it's just the second win against Adelphi in four games between the two teams in NE10 tournament history. The Owls had previously lost 11-straight to the Panthers before Saturday night's win.
No. 4 Saint Rose 0, No. 5 Saint Anselm 1
Box Score
Recap Courtesy Saint Anselm Athletics
For the first time in 14 years, the Saint Anselm College men's soccer team has won a postseason game, defeating the College of Saint Rose in double overtime, 1-0. Senior Zach Verow (Bedford, N.H.) scored the game-winning goal less than a minute into the first overtime period, finishing off a beautiful cross sent to the back post by junior Samuel Assantha (Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo).
Thirty eight seconds into the first extra period, Samuel Assantha worked his way down the left wing, cut back on his right foot, and curled in a cross to the back post. Verow ran on to it and was able to one-time it into the back of the net for the first goal of the game.
Saint Rose held a slight margin in total shots with a 16-15 edge over Saint Anselm. The Golden Knights also held a six to four advantage in shots on goal. The Golden Knights attempted six corner kicks in the match, while the Hawks attempted just one. Verow scored his second goal of the season for the Hawks, while Samuel Assantha recorded his fourth assist and is now tied for the team lead.
Saturday, November 4th
Quarterfinals – at Higher Seeds
Match 1: #8 AIC 0, #1 Franklin Pierce 0
Match 2: #7 SNHU 2, #2 Bentley 0
Match 3: #6 SCSU 1, #3 Adelphi 0
Match 4: #5 Saint Anselm 1, #4 Saint Rose 0
Thursday, November 9th
Semifinals - at Higher Seeds
Match 5: SNHU at Southern Connecticut State – Time TBD
Match 6: Saint Anselm at Franklin Pierce – Time TBD
Sunday, November 12th Championship – at Higher Seed Match 7: Match 5 Winner vs. Match 6 Winner – Time TBD
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 12 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
