While usually quiet, Preston Neal always has the last word.
Just before the Southern New Hampshire University men’s soccer team takes the field for a game, the senior goalkeeper from Windham gives a quick, last-minute speech to his teammates.
Alyssa Anderson is not the most vocal player on her team, either.
The graduate student left wing from Londonderry helps the SNHU women’s soccer team improve by training with the same intensity that she brings in every game.
Through their tenure with their respective programs, Neal and Anderson have developed into respected leaders and vital pieces on the field for their NCAA Division II tournament qualifying teams.
The Northeast-10 Conference champion SNHU men (14-2-2) are the Super Region 1’s No. 2 seed and will serve as one of four regional hosts of a three-team pod. They have a first-round bye and will play at home at Mark A. Ouellette Stadium on Sunday at 3 p.m.
The SNHU women (9-1-6) received an at-large bid and are the East Region’s No. 3 seed. They will play sixth-seeded Molloy University (12-4-2) in a first-round game on Friday (noon) at Franklin Pierce University’s Sodexo Field.
“He’s not officially a captain but we always say you don’t need an armband to be a leader,” SNHU men’s soccer coach Josh Taylor said of Neal. “He’s been able to do a really good job leading the group.”
SNHU women’s soccer coach Elie Monteiro said Anderson’s teammates respect her because of her tireless work ethic and her dedication to them and the program.
“Her teammates see how much she devotes to the group in those (practice) situations and how open she is to chatting with anyone in any grade to give advice or just lend an ear, really,” Monteiro said. “She’s a quiet leader but she certainly is one that people look up to.”
Anderson, who has recorded 50 points (20 goals, 10 assists) in 67 career games, and her fellow upperclassmen stress the importance of accountability, constructive criticism and feedback.
Given that this is her last season of eligibility, Anderson has also worked with and encouraged her younger teammates, who she expects will take over her role in the program.
“I don’t think I was nearly as confident when I first started here,” said Anderson, an All-NE-10 First Team selection, “and I think with the help of my coaches and my teammates and the constant support, I think that’s why I am the player I am today.”
Neal, who owns 17 career shutouts over 47 games, has also steadily gained confidence over his time with the Penmen, Taylor said.
Neal, a member of Windham High School’s 2020 NHIAA Division I championship team, considers himself a “sweeper keeper.” That means Neal is comfortable coming out of the penalty box to play the ball in the field, distributing the ball to his backs and leaping to cut off an aerial ball, he said.
Neal, the NE-10 Goalkeeper of the Year, finished second in goals-against average (.743) and third in save percentage (.818) in the conference. He also enters the NCAA tournament with eight shutouts, six of which came over SNHU’s first seven games.
Neal said his season shutout count is a product of his chemistry with SNHU backs Joey VanBuskirk, Rafa Escobedo, Alejo Caceres, Liam Evans, Haroun Conteh and Alex Pons.
“It starts with the dynamic between the guys,” Neal said. “That bond and skill of players — I don’t get shutouts without a strong back line. I’ve been able to work with some really strong players.”
Anderson, who owns a team-high 16 points on six goals and four assists this year, has become a playmaker for the Penmen, Monteiro said.
“She has figured out those moments when she should isolate a defender,” Monteiro said. “She’s figured out the moments when she should shift from being an outright winger to maybe heading to the central midfield personnel a little bit … she’s just more aware of the partnerships available and the opportunities available around her as she’s gotten older.”
Anderson, a Londonderry High School graduate, has great offensive chemistry with junior right wing Imogen Noon (team-high seven assists) and senior transfer midfielder Ava Jakich-Kunze (six goals, one assist).
Noon has been the opposite wing to Anderson since arriving. Anderson and Jakich-Kunze quickly picked up on each other’s playing styles.
“I think our team overall, we play so much better when we work as a team and an overall unit,” Anderson said.
Neal said his motivation in the NCAA tournament is the same he has had all season — putting the men’s program back in the national picture.
Last year marked the SNHU men’s first NCAA tournament appearance since 2016. They have made the field 24 times and won the 2013 national championship.
Knowing that her next game — or any after that — could be her last, Anderson said that pushes her to work even harder than usual for her team and herself.
“We don’t want to go out with any regrets or any what-ifs,” Anderson said.