TEANECK, N.J. – FDU men's soccer (12-4-3, 7-1-1) advanced to the 2025 NEC Championship on Thursday evening following a thrilling 3-1 victory over Le Moyne (5-10-2, 4-3-2).
The Knights and Dolphins faced off in a rematch of the 2024 NEC Semifinals, in which the Knights completed a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory. Head coach Jaymee Highcock and his Knights were looking for some more of that magic on Thursday.
After the first half, it looked like the Knights would need it. Le Moyne struck first in the 29th minute. Francesco Pagano was able to get a ball past Matheus Franca, who was trying to aggressively play a ball outside of the box. The Dolphins were able to roll it into an empty net, putting themselves ahead 1-0.
The score would remain 1-0 into the halftime break. The Dolphins controlled the first half outside of the scoreboard as well, out-shooting FDU nine to three across the first 45.
As the second half took off, FDU started to find some of the old magic from 2024. Just one minute and 39 seconds in, the Knights leveled the match. Connor O'Reilly poked home a pass from Arnau Rabassa Guillamon, tying things at one, and setting a new tone for the remaining 43 minutes of play.
In the 57th minute, the Knights finally took control. Arnau Rabassa Guillamon found the back of the net for the eleventh time in 2025, giving FDU a 2-1 lead. Rabassa Guillamon, the 2025 NEC Player of the Year, lived up to his accolade, scoring what would become the game-winning goal.
To make things more comfortable for the Knights, Connor O'Reilly padded the lead in the 61st minute. Off a Takuto Nishide corner kick, O'Reilly positioned himself in the box to send home a ball past the Le Moyne goalkeeper, extending the FDU lead to 3-1. The goal made it a brace for O'Reilly, who scored just one goal across the 18 prior matches he appeared in for FDU in 2025.
With the win, FDU will now host #2 Saint Francis for a battle to hoist the NEC trophy on Sunday, November 16. Kickoff at University Stadium will be at 12 p.m. Coverage will be available on ESPN+.
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Presto's Pizza is the presenting sponsor of the 2025 FDU men's soccer season
