Matthews, N.C., - The No. 1 Franklin Pierce men's soccer team is headed back to the NCAA Championship for the second straight season, advancing past Lewis, 3-2, Thursday night.
Antonio Lampreia Lima dropped the game-winner in the back of the net with 13 minutes left in regulation, assisted by Rodrigo Parafita Bestilleiro. The win means a DII national champion will defend their title in the final for just the second time this century. The last team to repeat was Southern Connecticut State in 1999.
It didn't take long for FPU to jump out front Thursday. NE10 Player of the Year Younes Addar Khanoussi scored only 7:39 into the game, assisted by Aaron Sanchez Sanchez. The Ravens went on a droubt, however, allowing Lewis the chance to come back in. Arturs Gorodnickis tied the game in the 56th minute and Charles Carlback converted a penalty kick for the lead just five minutes later.
Facing a defecit for the first time in the NCAA Championship, Franklin Pierce responded less than 90 seconds later when Khanoussi scored again, this time off a feed from Thomas Esperoe. Lima would score the game winner after that.
The Ravens dominated the statistics, outshooting the Flyers 23-6. Lewis keeper Sebastian Doppelhofer made nine saves. Karl Vernet stopped one shot in net for FPU.
The win sets up a rematch of last year's championship between Franklin Pierce and Colorado State Pueblo that the Ravens won, 2-0. Kickoff is set for 4pm on Saturday.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 12 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
