Men's Soccer

Powerhouse Penmen! SNHU Wins Ninth NE10 Title

SNHU Defeats AIC 3-0 for Men's Soccer Championship

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
FINAL (Nov. 7)
No. 1 SNHU 3, No. 2 AIC 0
Box Score I Watch Replay on FloCollege
 
AWARDS
United State Marines Most Outstanding Player: Gabriel Castro (SNHU)
All-Championship Team: Gabriel Castro (SNHU), Eduardo Maia (SNHU), Miguel Gimeno (SNHU), Paul Espinoza (AIC), Marc Tasies Minguell (AIC), Guillermo Rios (Franklin Pierce), Antonio Di Gaudio (Bentley)
Elite 24 Award Winner: Jack Toolin (SNHU), Junior, Major: Accounting, 4.00 GPA

KEY MOMENTS
  • Southern New Hampshire snapped a scoreless deadlock with just 3:02 on the clock in the first half when  junior Gabriel Castro sent a ball across the 6-yard box that deflected off the goalkeeper and out to senior Inigo Iriarte who finished it off to make it 1-0.
  • SNHU doubled its lead 9:04 into the second half when senior Alex Pons delivered a ball in front that was headed in by fifth year Miguel Gimeno.
  • Castro sealed it with 2:12 to go, heading in a long ball from Pons to extend the lead to 3-0.

GAME NOTES
  • Southern New Hampshire, ranked eighth in the latest United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25, is unbeaten in 17 of 18 this season.
  • The Penmen claim their league-best ninth NE10 title (2000, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2024), including their second in the last three years.
  • SNHU improves to 31-11-7 (.704) all-time in 26 appearances in the NE10 Championship, including 3-0-0 against American Int'l. The Penmen knocked the Yellow Jackets out in the first round a year ago with a 4-1 victory at home. SNHU is now 26-3-4 at home in the NE10 postseason, including 20-1-3 over its last 24. The Penmen are also 7-1-1 over their last nine NE10 Championship tilts.
  • The Penmen secured their 24th shutout all-time in the NE10 Championship, including their sixth in the finals.
  • Southern New Hampshire leads the all-time series with AIC, 28-2-1, and extends its unbeaten streak against the Yellow Jackets to 22 (21-0-1) dating back to the 2007 campaign. SNHU is outscoring AIC, 49-12, during the 22-match unbeaten streak. The Penmen have won nine straight in the series. The Penmen are also 17-1-0 at home and have won 14-in-a-row there, including a 2-1 victory back on Sept. 19. The last AIC win in the series came Sept. 30, 2006 (2-0) at home, while its last victory at SNHU came Oct. 1, 2005 (2-1).
  • Garcia's clean sheet is his eighth of the season and the 16th in his two years with the Penmen. It is SNHU's 11th shutout of the year, putting it four shy of the program record.
  • Iriarte, who missed 10 matches with an injury, came off the bench in the regular-season finale and NE10 semifinal, before drawing his first start since Sept. 12 in the final and finding the back of the net for the second time in 2026. It was the fourth goal of his Penmen career.
  • Gimeno recorded his eighth goal of the season – the second most on the team.
  • Castro also now has eight goals on the season, including two in the NE10 Championship, and 17 in his three-year Penmen career.
  • Castro's goal and assist moves him into second on the team with 19 points.
  • Pons collected the two assists to give him four on the year.
  • The Penmen are now 175-43-33 (.763) over their last 251 matches dating back to the beginning of the 2013 National Championship season. SNHU is also 47-7-10 (.812) over its last 64 matches dating back to 2023.
  • The Penmen improve to 119-16-19 (.834) over their last 154 contests at home, including 57-9-12 (.808) at Ouellette Stadium. SNHU is now 28-2-4 (.882) at home over its last three seasons, including 9-0-1 this year, and is unbeaten in 28 of its last 29 at Ouellette (24-1-4).
WHAT IS NEXT?
The Penmen are headed to the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Division II Men's Soccer selection show will be available at 6:30PM EST on Monday November 9th on ncaa.com.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 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.

Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season. The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast 10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.