| FRANKLIN PIERCE | CSU-PUEBLO |
| ROSTER | ROSTER |
| SCHEDULE | SCHEDULE |
| STATS | STATS |
MATTHEWS, N.C., - For only the second time in NCAA DII history, fans will see a rematch in the men's soccer national championship game when No. 1 Franklin Pierce battles No. 16 CSU-Pueblo Saturday at 4 PM at the Matthews Sportsplex. FPU defeated CSU-Pueblo to claim the 2022 title, 2-0. The game marks the only previous meeting between the schools in their histories.
This fall's rematch occurs just one cycle after Charleston (WV) and Cal State Los Angeles faced-off in consecituve championships in 2019 and 2021 (there was no title game in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Franklin Pierce head coach Travis Brent was an assistant for Charleston during that run. Prior to 2019 there had never been a DII men's soccer championship rematch and current NE10 member Southern Connecticut State is one of two teams that has ever claimed back-to-back championships (1998 & 1999). Seattle Pacific also repeated in the 1980's.
Franklin Pierce advanced to the title game as the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament after being ranked No. 1 in the national polls since the start of the season. The Ravens knocked off the Lewis Flyers in the semifinals thursday, 3-2, when an Antonio Lima header completed a comeback in the match's final 15 minutes. CSU-Pubelo knocked off Florida Tech in overtime in thier semifinal match.
Franklin Pierce has had the nation's third best offense all season and has outscored opponents 14-5 in the playoffs this fall. The Ravens haven't advanced without challenge, however, needing PK's to slip by two teams in the NE10 Championship and a come-from-behind effort vs Lewis in the national semifinal. Down 2-1 to Lewis after a penalty kick goal on Thursday, Franklin Pierce trailed for just the fourth time this season and the second time in the second half (Adelphi on October 31st). The Ravens hold the nation's best winning percentage at 95.5% this fall.
First Team All-American Younes Addar Khanoussi leads the FPU attack with 21 goals, second most in the nation. Khanoussi scored twice in the national semifinal. Karl Vernet has been the starting goaltender since the NCAA Championship began, replacing an injured NE10 Keeper of the Year in Diego Montoya Casillas.
CSU-Pubelo makes its second straight appearance in the national championship as well, going 18-4-3 this fall in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The ThunderWolves knocked off two ranked foes, including an upset of No. 10 Fort Lewis, en route to winning their conference tournament title this fall. Drawing the No. 4 seed in their region, CSU-Pueble upset the top seed Midwestern State before eliminating Cal State Los Angeles to advance to North Carolina.
The ThuderWolves are led by Gabriel Campora, who ranks fourth nationally in goals scored with 19. Caio Oliveira has helped the Pubelo offense with 13 assists. Freshman Ryan Nun has been the team's goaltender for the back half of the season, making 19 saves over eight starts.
Kickoff for the national championship is set for 4p.m. Saturday at the Matthews Sportsplex. Fans can follow along with the official NCAA broadcast ($) here or by viewing the Spanish-language live stream on NE10NOW.tv. Live stats are available at the following link.
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.
