Press Release Written by Nathan Foltz

NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University men's soccer team fell to nationally sixth-ranked Southern New Hampshire University on Saturday, losing by a final score of 2-1, in its final regular-season home game at the WU Athletics Complex.

The loss drops the Wildcats to 9-3-4 on the year, while the Penmen improve to 12-1-2 with their victory against an East Region opponent.

SNHU struck first in the match, scoring off a corner kick in the 11th minute. The rest of the first half was quiet after that, with the teams combining for just two shots over the next 34 minutes. 

The Penmen scored again in the 49th minute when a ball in the box got around keeper Emil Lollike and was deflected in as the Wildcats tried to clear it. Wilmington didn't give up, though, bringing the score back to within one in the 56th minute when Tyrese Small found Alex Tarway down the right side, giving the latter an opening to sprint with the ball into the box and around the SNHU keeper for the goal.

Like the first half, there weren't many great scoring opportunities for either team as the half progressed and the match came to a close. The Wildcats were around the Penmen box a fair amount towards the end, but they couldn't put anything together against an SNHU defense that had been suffocating all day.

Shots were 11-6 in favor of SNHU, with both teams registering their only shots on goal when they scored. The six shots are a season low for the Wildcats, marking only the second time they've been held to single digits in a game on the year (had nine in a 2-1 victory at Felician on October 26). Corners were 8-7 in favor of Wilmington.

The Wildcats will play the final match of their regular season on Wednesday, as they take a short trip up the road to face Goldey-Beacom at Abessinio Stadium. That contest is slated to begin at 8:00 p.m. following the conclusion of the game between the WilmU and Goldey women's programs.