Manchester, N.H- Leading into tonight's matchup the Chargers remained rank at the number three spot in the Northeast-10 Conference rankings, while Southern New Hampshire was ranked at number eight, having only played three conference matchups. The game remained at zero on both sides for the first half, but the Penmen would slip away in the second in a 4-1 loss for the Chargers.
Defense was the name of the game for both teams throughout the first half. A lot of midfield play coming from strong defensive efforts from both the Penmen and the Chargers, giving little leeway on offensive opportunities. The Penmen leading the Chargers in the shot column for the first half, finding nine shots, but the New Haven defensive held strong to keep the Penmen to zero going into halftime.
Despite the lead for the Penmen in the shot column the Chargers knocked on the door in terms of goal scoring on multiple occasions. Tallying up four shots in the first half, but solid defense and goaltending would deny the Chargers their first goal of the game.
With the pressure to find the first lead of the game, both teams attempted to push up the field, the Penmen being the first to do so coming into the half. Opening the scoring Southern New Hampshire would find the first goal of the game in the 46th minute of play, followed by another three minutes after.
The Chargers would find themselves trailing three goals midway through the second half but would find an opportunity through a free kick giving in the Penmen's defensive end due to a yellow card. Augustus McGiff (Brookhaven, N.Y./Bellport) over the ball, would do what he does best, sending a straight shot towards the goal mouth, finding his seventh goal of the season.
Trailing 3-1, a red card would be issued to a New Haven player, resulting in a penalty kick, where Southern New Hampshire would convert once again, bringing their lead to three goals once again. Despite the lead, New Haven pushed to find a goal to bring their momentum up but would be shut down as the time ran out.
New Haven would end the evening with a total of seven shots, Sean Lane-Turnbull (Wellington, New Zealand/Rongotai College) leading the way with three. Gianluca Cerosimo (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Escuela Arentina Modelo) would play all ninety minutes in goal, making five saves on the nine shots the Penmen found on goal.
The Chargers now move to 4-4-2 in overall season play, and 2-3-2 in conference play. Looking forward, the Chargers will have a break from conference play as they welcome the Dolphins from the College of Staten Island to their home turf. That game is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, October 11th with a start time of 6:30 p.m. You can catch all the action on the Chargers Sports Network on NE10 NOW.
