BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's soccer team was defeated by LIU Brooklyn 4-0 Friday afternoon at Brooklyn Bridge Park in the NEC Conference Tournament semi-finals. The loss marks the conclusion of the 2017 campaign for FDU.
Goalkeeper Jahmali Waite started in goal and made three saves on the afternoon. Jacob Labovitz led the Knights with five shots in the game.
"Today was not our day, but nevertheless, I'm still incredibly proud of all the guys on this team and what we were able to accomplish this season," head coach Seth Roland said. "We didn't take care of some details well enough which allowed LIU to score two goals in the first half and manage the game. LIU defended well, but I thought both teams were pretty even in scoring chances, and I don't think 4-0 is a reflection of how the game was played."
The Blackbirds were aggressive in attack from the opening kickoff, attempting to spring forward Rasmus Hansen with a number of long balls behind the FDU backline, however the Knights defensive corps was up to the challenge in the early going, snuffing out a few rushes before they could materialize.
After FDU survived an early corner in the 4', LIU was awarded another in the 7'. This time they managed to convert after the cross into the box was collected and put home by Erik Wahlin to give the blackbirds an early 1-0 lead.
FDU responded with some good pace of their own.
Daniel Lasarte got into the box with possession, however his turning shot was swiftly blocked by the LIU backline. Just minutes later, Labovitz nearly curled one into the upper right-hand corner from thirty yards out, however his effort sailed just high.
LIU would outlast the Knights pressure and double their lead in the 28' when Rasmus Hansen collected a pass in stride before getting around the FDU backline and slotting a low strike into the corner to put the Blackbirds up 2-0.
The first half would end without much more action and the Blackbirds entered halftime up a pair.
"LIU deserved to win," Roland said. "They were efficient on the counter and were difficult to break down defensively. I thought we were on the verge of making it 2-1 a few times in the second half when we were throwing everything into attack, but we just couldn't find the goal we needed to get back in the game. Because we needed to push so many guys forward, we got a little exposed on the counter for the last two goals. But at that point, who cares if you lose 2-0 or 4-0 because you've got to do whatever you can to get a goal or two."
The Knights came out to start the second with an aggressive mindset, controlling play in the attacking third for much of the final 45 minutes, however were unable to solve LIU keeper Anthony Sciola and the LIU backline.
Labovitz barely missed on a nice header from outside the six yard box just over a minute into the second frame that would have cut LIU's lead in half.
Diego Arribas earned a couple of quality chances of his own, firing a pair of hard shots that sailed just wide of their intended target in the in the 70' and 75' minute.
LIU would add insurance goals in the 78' and 84' to ice things away and secure the win.
The Knights conclude the 2017 regular season with a final record of 10-4-3 (3-2-2 NEC), their highest win total since the 2012 campaign.
"We didn't finish our chances, and didn't do a good enough job diffusing their chances at the other end," Roland said. "I'm extremely proud of this group of guys and their resilience and strength of character they showed this season in helping to re-establish a winning tradition at FDU. I'm proud of the leadership on this team for helping us win ten games, which is a real threshold for successful season, and for leading us back to the NEC playoffs and finishing third in the conference. Our seniors helped lead the program back to a level of success that had been a hallmark of our program for years, and it's exciting to think about how much young talent we have coming back for next year."
