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Championship
#1 FDU 2, #3 St. Francis Brooklyn 1
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Teaheck, NJ -- With time running short in the NEC men's soccer title tilt and FDU needing a spark, it was a freshman who took matters into his own hands.
NEC All-Rookie honoree Jaime Barbero scored twice in the final 15 minutes to push top-seeded FDU to a 2-1 win over third-seeded St. Francis Brooklyn in Teaneck, NJ to complete an unbeaten NEC regular season and postseason campaign.
It marked the ninth NEC Tournament title for the Knights, tying FDU with SFBK for the most in conference history. FDU has won a record ten overall NEC titles as the Knights' initial championship in 1988 came prior to the introduction of the conference tournament.
With SFBK nursing a precarious 1-0 lead in the 76th minute, FDU made its move.
The Knights drew their second penalty kick of the match and Barbero calmly slipped it past the Terriers' Alec McLachlan into the lower right corner of the goal to equalize the game and change the momentum for the hosts.
Less than eight minutes later in the 83rd minute, first team All-NEC midfielder Jordan Alonge - who was the hat-trick hero from the semis - carried the ball up the field and slipped Tony Gomez a pass wide. Gomez drove the ball across the mouth of the goal where Barbero tapped in the game-winner for his second goal of the game to put the Knights in the lead for good.
The goals were the fourth and fifth of the season for Barbero, who was named NEC Tournament MVP for his efforts.
The first half was scoreless, but there was still plenty of excitement.
The Knights nearly converted an early free kick when Gomez bent a curler off the far post to shake the frame.
FDU had a golden opportunity after drawing a penalty kick in the 18th minute, however SFBK rookie goalkeeper Alec McLachlan denied NEC Defensive Player of the Year Hugo Bacharach's shot to keep the score even.
McLachlan made three saves in the first half to keep the Knights off the scoresheet.
In a thrilling rollercoaster of events, each side took 11 shots in an evenly contested second half.
The Terriers opened the scoring when Jack Pascoe ripped a shot from outside the box and Knights’ goalkeeper Spencer King batted the shot wide. Michele Signorelli followed up the rebound and tucked away the go-ahead goal in the 63rd minute.
The tally was the first allowed by NEC Goalkeeper of the Year Spencer King to an NEC opponent all season, ending an incredible 737:36 without conceding a goal.
On the other end of the field, McLachlan continued to make stop after stop, many of a spectacular fashion, as the Knights searched for the equalizer.
FDU came close to its first goal of the game when McLachlan made a double save and Bacharach was denied by the post in the 72nd minute.
The Knights' breakthrough came four minutes later.
Signorelli and Khaled Abdella led SFBK with three shots apiece. McLachlan made seven saves in net.
Barbero paced the Knights with four shots, while Bacharach and Gomez totaled three shots each. King made two saves on the day.
FDU outshot SFBK, 15-13, and finished with three corners, compared to two for the Terriers.
Longtime FDU head coach Seth Roland has now won two NEC championship titles in the last four years and eight during his distinguished tenure. Roland, who leads the 2022 NEC Coaching Staff of the Year, made history by guiding the first FDU team to wrap an undefeated regular season, and now postseason, heading into the NCAA Tournament.
The Knights will learn their NCAA fate on Monday when the complete 48-team field will be released at 1 p.m. ET during the selection show on NCAA.com.
All-Tournament Team
Jaime Babero, FDU (MVP)
Jordan Alonge, FDU
Tony Gomez, FDU
Fallou Tounkara, FDU
Jaydon Humphries, SFBK
Alec McLachlan, SFBK
Michele Signorelli, SFBK
Lucas Miquel Castrillo, SHU
Olliver Persson, SHU
Stefano Pesenti, MC
Juri Schlingmann, MC