LORETTO, Pa. – For a league-record ninth time in program history, Fairleigh Dickinson men's soccer is the 2019 Northeast Conference Champion, defeating LIU on a 3-2 advantage in penalty kicks to claim the conference trophy and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
 
The fourth-seeded Knights (7-8-4) battled from behind against the second seed Sharks (10-7-2), with freshman Jared Dillon scoring an equalizing goal in the 65th minute to force overtime. Just like in FDU's semifinal round, the match then went to a penalty kick shootout, where the Knights made each of their first three attempts and Waite delivered two critical saves to win the game.
 
FDU now has a conference-record eight NEC Tournament titles and nine NEC titles overall, first winning the NEC in 1988 before the NEC created a conference tournament to declare its champion. It is also the first NEC championship for the Knights since 2012, which also happened after two wins on penalty kicks. The Knights also were NEC champions in 1989, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2008.

"What an incredible effort by our guys," said head coach Seth Roland, who has now guided the Knights to seven of the program's nine NEC championships. "This team plays with so much heart and passion. It's inspiring to me as a coach. I'm in awe of the way these guys managed to turn things around in the last couple of weeks and win the NEC Championship trophy and a berth into the NCAA Tournament. I'm so excited for them, and they deserve the trophy."
 
Similar to the semifinal game, junior Diego Arribas, redshirt senior Daniel Lasarte and sophomore Ideal Shefqeti each buried their penalty kicks into the goal in the shootout, helping the Knights go up 3-1. LIU missed its first attempt off the crossbar, and junior goalkeeper Jahmali Waite made a good read to stop the second LIU shot from going into the goal.
 
Then, just like in the semifinal, it was Waite making one more key save to send his teammates racing toward him in celebration. Waite also made two saves in regulation and overtime periods, and just like in Friday's semifinal vs. Saint Francis, the Philadelphia native stepped up when his team needed him most.
 
"Like I said after Friday's game, in a penalty shootout, you have to save at least one for your team to have a chance to win," Waite said after the game. "I saved more than one, which is good, and it's just unbelievable. This team fought all year to first make the playoffs, and then to come here as the number four seed and win on two consecutive penalty shootouts, it's just a great feeling and I'm so happy for the guys."

Waite was named the Tournament MVP for his efforts in goal in both the semifinal and championship games. Also named to the All-Tournament Team was Shefqeti, sophomore defender Anthony Herbert and redshirt sophomore defender Adrian Barajas.
 
The Sharks scored the game's opening goal in the fifth minute of play, with Papa Ndoye netting the goal despite Waite making a great save attempt to deflect the ball away. The ball, however, did find its way into the corner of the net to make it a 1-0 deficit for the Knights.
 
FDU created two good chances on goal in the first half, with Lasarte and freshman Ville Ahola each driving shots on target that were saved to keep the game at 1-0 into halftime.
 
After the first half, the Knights claimed a 16-6 advantage in shots the rest of the game, including 13 attempts in the second half while working relentlessly to tie the match. After seven different attempts were kept out of net, the eighth try proved fruitful for FDU. After gaining a corner kick, Lasarte drilled a cross that connected with Barajas, who then found Herbert in the box with his header. Herbert then redirected the ball back in front of the net, and Dillon finished off the play with a header that crossed the goal line for his third score of the season.
 
The Knights, however, were not done on the attack. Junior Rocky Garretson attempted three different shots in a four-minute span with less than 20 left to play, with his best opportunity missing just high over the net. Ahola also had a look at goal in the 81st minute, but both defenses held strong through the end of regulation.
 
Each goalkeeper saved the only shots on target for both sides in the first overtime period, and FDU played solid defense to prevent an LIU goal early in the second overtime by defending two corner kicks and forcing two errant Ndoye shots wide of the net.
 
Arribas almost finished the game in the closing minutes, beating a LIU defender down the left side of the field and sending a shot toward net in the final minute, but the LIU goalkeeper made the save to keep the game tied.
 
FDU has clinched a berth into the NCAA Tournament for the 18th time in program history. It is also the third time in NEC history that the lowest-seeded team in the tournament walked away with the conference trophy. In another interesting note, the Knights are the only team in NEC history to win the conference championship on penalty kicks, and they have done so three times (2019, 2012 and 2002).
 
FDU will find out who it is facing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday at 1 p.m., when the NCAA hosts its Selection Show.
 
"We're not done yet, we're just getting started," Waite added. "Of course, we're going to celebrate a little bit, but we're going to hit the ground running again next week and get ready for the first game of the NCAA Tournament."
 

Dillon Scores!!!! Lasarte sends in corner that finds the heads of Barajas and Herbert, before Dillon comes up with the equalizer! pic.twitter.com/xZlAJ938Z6

— FDU Men's Soccer (@FDUKnightsMSOC) November 17, 2019