MANCHESTER - Two second-round NCAA East Region soccer games take place at Larkin Field on the Southern New Hampshire University campus today.

In men's action, the second-seeded Penmen (17-3) take on No. 3 Merrimack (15-3-2) at 3 p.m. The women's top-seeded Long Island University Post (15-2-2) meets No. 4 Dowling College (14-3-2) at noon.

The SNHU men and LIU Post women each earned a first-round bye in the 48-team single elimination national elimination tourney. Dowling advanced with a 0-0 shootout over fifth-seeded SNHU before Merrimack knocked off Franklin Pierce University, 1-0, in Friday evening action at SNHU.

The Penmen knocked upended the Warriors last weekend in the Northeast-10 conference title game. It was SNHU's fourth NE-10 title, fifth straight victory and the second time it has knocked off the Warriors this season, each time by a 2-1 score.

Sophomore forward Mohamed Toufik scored a goal in each SNHU win over the Warriors. Ranked 15th nationally and making their fifth NCAA tourney appearance, no Penmen opponent has managed to tally more than one goal this season. The Penmen and the University of New Haven were the only teams to score two goals against Merrimack thus far in 2012.

SNHU snapped Merrimack's 13-game unbeaten streak - the longest in program history - in last weekend's NE-10 title game. The Warriors went on to secure a first-ever NCAA tourney berth.

Thus far this season Dowling and LIU Post have taken turns beating each other by 2-1 scores. The Athletics prevailed in a double-overtime struggle on September 19 while the Golden Lions retaliated to win an East Coast Conference tournament game en route to securing their second straight conference championship.

The ECC tourney loss was the Pioneers' first defeat since early September, snapping a 10-0-1 unbeaten streak. Dowling has won five straight games.