TEANECK, N.J. – For the third time in four seasons, the Fairleigh Dickinson women's soccer team will host the Northeast Conference Tournament as the Knights beat Mount St. Mary's 3-1 on Sunday to share the regular season title with Saint Francis U. Before the game, the Knights honored the seven graduating seniors. 
 
The Knights won the tiebreaker with the Red Flash with their win over Central Connecticut for the right to host the tournament, which will be held on this coming Friday and Sunday at University Stadium.

Head coach Eric Teepe said postgame, "It is great for the team to come in first this year considering how competitive the league was. [Hosting the conference tournament] is certainly something you strive for." He added, "I give our players a lot of credit. Now we get to enjoy this tonight, but know that next weekend will be tough with all four teams having a legitimate chance to win."
 
He continued, "All of our players have been here except for the freshmen. I think it is a matter of being ready to play. Bryant won ten games this season and not by luck. We played them here, and they played tough, and you would imagine it will be tougher this time around."
 
The Knights, who finished at 8-8-3 overall and 6-1-1 in NEC play, got a pair of goals from Kristina Neri and another from Sofia Albertsson to beat the Mountaineers and the heavy rain at University Stadium.
 
After the two sides played a scoreless first half, Neri got the Knights on the board in the 54th minute with her third of the season. The senior on senior day controlled the rebound on a shot from Daria Jones that came to her on the right side of the box and placed into the net.
 
The California native was not done. In the 62nd minute, Neri was found by Albertsson at the top of the box, and Neri's shot slipped through the hands of Charlotte Elrod in the Mount St. Mary's goal to give Fairleigh Dickinson a 2-0 lead.
 
Neri's four goals on the year have all come in the last two games. The four goals came after the senior had not scored since 2015 versus Central Connecticut.
 
Mount St. Mary's (5-12-1, 2-6 NEC) cut the lead in half in the 86th minute on a goal from Amanda Britain. Britain elevated and headed home a corner kick from Jenna West to give the Mountaineers a chance late.
 
Albertsson added the insurance for the Knights in the 88th minute with her ninth of the season. The freshman controlled a clearance from Elrod and beat the Mountaineers' goalkeeper to the left post to make it 3-1 Fairleigh Dickinson.
 
Between the two tallies from Neri, the Knights had other chances to add to the lead. Jessi Reinhardt fired a shot just over the crossbar from distance. Jones made herself free in the box, but the hit the near post. That was followed by Stasi Torchia's shot get deflected by Elrod up and off the crossbar.
 
Elma Kolenovic and Albertsson both had chances to give Fairleigh Dickinson the third goal before Albertsson tally late.
 
Both teams were able to get shots away despite the elements as they combined for 21 on goal and 35 overall. Amanda Fitzgerald finished with nine saves and Elrod finished with eight.  
 
The times for the two semifinal contests on Friday at University Stadium will be at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The matchups are No. 1 seed Fairleigh Dickinson against No. 4 seed Bryant in the first game and No. 2 seed Saint Francis U versus No. 3 seed Central Connecticut in the second half of the doubleheader.