TEANECK, N.J. - On a cool fall night on the banks of the Hackensack, the 2022 NEC regular season champion FDU men's soccer team laced up their boots to face #4 Sacred Heart in the 2022 Northeast Conference Championship Semifinal, the second-straight trip for the Knights and third in four seasons. Bolstered by a passionate and raucous supporters section, the home Knights dominated the ballgame, finishing off the Pioneers 3-0 to send the Burgundy and Blue to the title match - setting up a rematch of the 2021 NEC tournament semifinal - with #3 St. Francis Brooklyn Sunday, November 13 at 1 p.m. on the Knights' home field.

Senior midfielder Jordan Alonge was brilliant for the Knights with the program's first hat trick in over a decade. The two-time First Team All-NEC selection came into Thursday's match with one goal on the season and caught fire on his team's home ground, connecting with Second Team All-NEC honoree, junior forward Tony Gomez, on two scores to push FDU over the top and clinch the program's 14th appearance in the championship final.

A defensive battle in the opening 45, FDU logged four of the first five shot attempts of the game, though all would be off-target. NEC Goalkeeper of the Year, senior Spencer King, would stop several crosses in the box, spoiling any attempt from the Pioneers' attack in the opening period. King's first save would come in the 25th minute when the Ottawa, Ontario, Canada product made a leaping stop off a shot attempt from a corner set piece with the headed-ball meeting his hands as he dove to his right to make a crucial stop that very well may have put Sacred Heart up 1-0 with 20 minutes to go in the first. King's heroics wouldn't stop there as he would make six saves for a match total of the seven, his most against an NEC opponent this season.
 
Sacred Heart dominated the ball with 58 percent of the possession in the first though the Burgundy and Blue would out-shoot the Pios 8-6 while the fourth-seeded team in the tournament would hold the edge on shots-on-target 3-1.

"That was intense and exciting and I'm proud of the way we competed to earn a spot in the championship game this Sunday," said Roland following the match. "Credit to Sacred Heart as they're extremely difficult to play against because they're so well coached and have some outstanding individual players. We defended well as a team and - wow - what a second half by Jordan Alonge with his hat trick. That was something special. The guys can enjoy this for 24 hours and then we need to turn our attention to St. Francis Brooklyn."

Scoreless at the break, FDU turned to the bench to bring on sophomore Kevin Leonhard in what was just the second substitution of the match for Seth Roland's side. It wouldn't take long for Alonge to get cooking as he would score the lid-lifting goal 28 seconds into the second half to put the Knights up 1-0. The goal was Alonge's second of the season while Gomez notched his first of two assists on the evening thanks to the cross which set Alonge up 25 yards out of the target for a perfectly-placed shot in the low right corner of the goal after sliding down off the cross bar. A 2021 All-Northeast Region Selection, all three of Alonge's scores were highlight-reel worthy on the Hackensack.
 

Alonge would fire off again in the 74th minute off the final assist from the Santander, Spain native Gomez to convert a brace in the fixture before delivering the final dagger with under a minute to go off a free kick to give FDU hosting rights to the championship final on Sunday.

"Well, as a team this is the time we play for. I guess everyone was focused - it was a team effort but this is the first step as well. Sunday [championship match] is our main focus," said Alonge after his brilliant performance.

The Knights' eight statistical points in the game matches the NEC tournament record while Alonge now sits just one goal away from the tying the mark for most goals in the NEC tournament.

FDU will enjoy home field advantage in the NEC Championship Final for the third since since 1997, the sixth time the title game will be played in Teaneck.

Fans can catch the action as the Knights play for the 10th championship in program history and look to add a star to the crest on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. at University Stadium on NEC Front Row and ESPN3. Tickets will be sold at the gate though students at an NEC member institution will be admitted for free with an institutional ID.

Connect with FDU men's soccer on Twitter and Instagram, @FDUKnightsMSOC.