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Loretto, PA -- Penalty kick shootouts can be daunting for keepers, but for Fairleigh Dickinson junior Jahmali Waite (Philadelphia, PA/YSC Academy), it's just a chance to showcase his skills.

Similar to the semis on Friday, Waite answered the bell when the Knights needed it most, stopping two PKs to lead the Knights to a 3-2 shooout win over Long Island University after the two teams played to a 1-1 standstill over the first 120 minutes.

In doing so, FDU won its eighth NEC Men's Soccer Tournament title to tie St. Francis Brooklyn for most in NEC history. The Knights also set a new overall championship record with their ninth crown. FDU won the 1988 title prior to the conference sponsoring a year-end tournament.
 
The Knights (7-8-4) survived both tourney matches in penalties to earn their first championship since 2012.
 
Waite collected the Tournament MVP award, stopping nine shots in the tournament and an additional five shots in two PK shootouts.
 
LIU picked up right where they left off in the first semifinal on Friday when NEC Rookie of the Year Papa Ndoye (Mbour, Senegal/Mbour) took a pass from teammate Jonas Dovland (Oslo, Norway/Francis Marion) and fired a shot from the top of the box off the hands of Waite and into the net for a 1-0 lead just over four minutes into the first half.
 
Neither team threatened until the 43rd minute when FDU's Ville Ahola (Jarvenpaa, Finland/Jarvenapaan) put a shot on frame that was stopped by Matias Pesallaccia (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Instituto Privado Argentina).

LIU would take a 1-0 lead into the half.

FDU had a couple of chances to tie the game in the second half.

In the 56th minute a shot from the top of the box by Rocky Garretson (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan Township) was stopped by Pesallaccia. Soon after, Diego Arribas (Madrid, Spain/Brains International School) recieved a long pass into the box and ripped a shot that was denied by a diving Pesallaccia.

The Knights finally broke through in the 64th minute on a set piece when a corner kick from Daniel Lasarte (Madrid, Spain/Defiance (Ohio)) was knocked around until Jared Dillon (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) was able to get a head on it to tie the game.

No more scoring would take place in regulation and this game would head to overtime.

LIU had the chance to end things in the 93rd minute when Keanu Tuart (Toowoomba, Australia/Toowoomba Grammar) found himself in point blank range inside the box, but was stopped by Waite.

A scoreless first overtime session would bring this game to double overtime.

The Knights came within inches of ending the game in the double overtime when Arribas took a lead pass from Ahola down the left side, but put the shot just wide in the 105th minute. Arribas threatened again in the final minute, firing a shot the right side that was fought off by Pesallaccia, sending the game to penalty kicks.

RD 1
LIU Parrish hit crossbar. 0-0
FDU Arribas scores. 1-0 FDU

RD 2
LIU Ndoye stopped by Waite. 1-0 FDU
FDU Lasarte scores. 2-0 FDU

RD 3
LIU Andberg scores. 2-1 FDU
FDU Shefqeti scores. 3-1 FDU

RD 4
LIU Rehberger scores. 3-2 FDU
FDU Lanzani stopped by Pesallaccia. 3-2 FDU

RD 5
LIU Ocampo stopped by Waite. FDU wins 3-2.

Pesallaccia finished the game with six saves for the Sharks and Waite stopped two shots and two more in the shootout as the Knights outshot the Sharks, 19-12.

FDU now awaits tomorrow's selection show to be aired on NCAA.com at 1 p.m.

NEC All-Tournament Team
Jahmali Waite, FDU - MVP
Adrian Barajas, FDU
Ideal Shefqeti, FDU
Anthony Herbert, FDU
Stefan Faistenauer, LIU
Kyle Parish, LIU
Fridtjof Andberg, LIU
George Gill, BRY
Charles DeSantis, BRY
Lucas Rosa, SFU
Matt Jones, SFU