Rindge, N.H. – The No. 7-seeded Le Moyne College men's soccer team 's 2022 conference tournament run came to an end Saturday night in the NE10 Championship game as they fell 2-0 to Franklin Pierce University, the top seed in the tournament and No. 1-ranked team in the nation according to the United Soccer Coaches National Top 25 Poll.
 
Senior co-captain Tom Henne accepted Le Moyne's NE10 Championships Finalist trophy after the match on behalf of the team.

"Tough result in the final and not the way we wanted it to go. Extremely proud of the team for the character they demonstrated this season. Backs against the wall for large portions, but they showed a bond and unity that kept them in it to the very end," said Le Moyne Head Coach Tom Bonus after the game.
 
The two sides competed in front of a packed and raucous crowd at FPU's Sodexo Field, and after 45 minutes the score was tied 0-0.
 
The attacking pressure from the Ravens was relentless, but Le Moyne's back line of Jack Goodrich, Ben Quigley, Alessandro Otte – who was permanently replaced by DJ Taylor at center back in the final minute of the first half – and David Bosak along with goalkeeper Josh Mahr were able to keep the Ravens at bay longer than any of FPU's previous opponents in the NE10 Championships.

Otte and Quigley were outstanding defensively in the center of Le Moyne's back four during the first half, but in the 45^th minute Otte went down and could no longer play through injury. Taylor, Owen Bauer and Bryant Perdomo bolstered the Le Moyne effort off the bench, playing 46, 30, and 22 minutes, respectively.

Mahr was strong in goal for the 'Phins, recording a big kick save during the first half, and constantly communicating with his back line.
 
The continuous effort displayed by the back line, along with the hard-nosed play of Le Moyne's center midfielders Henne, Terence Crysler-Howard, and Max Van Duin, and the pace of freshmen wingers Jackson Card and Cameron Stuart, along with the physicality of Noah Sperduto up top, allowed the 'Phins to hang tough with the undisputed top team in Division II.
 
The 20-0-1 Ravens held most of the possession during the first half, and picked up right where they left off to start the second frame.
 
Le Moyne was the only team to record a positive result – a 0-0 draw – against Franklin Pierce during the 2022 regular season, and on Saturday in the NE10 Championship game the 'Phins were doing a tremendous job weathering the attacking storms from Franklin Pierce.
 
Eventually the Ravens broke through and took the lead.
 
In the 56^th minute, 2022 NE10 Player of the Year Braudilio Rodrigues took a shot that was deflected by another player and floated across the goal line for his 18^th goal of the campaign.
 
Facing a 1-0 deficit against a Franklin Pierce side that has conceded just four goals in 2022 and has yet to allow more than one goal in a single game this season, Le Moyne adjusted their formation and began to find a little more success moving the ball into their attacking third.
 
Le Moyne earned a corner kick during the 65^th minute, and Jack Goodrich prepared to send in a cross from the right flag.
 
Goodrich drove a dangerous ball into a crowd in front of the goal line, by the near post, but the ball was headed away by an FPU defender.
 
The Ravens doubled their lead in the 69^th minute when Rodrigues got into the left side of Le Moyne's penalty area and scored his NE10-best 19^th goal of the 2022 season.
 
The Dolphins continued to fight until the very last second, and the two sides shared respectful handshakes on the field following a physical and intense 90 minutes of soccer. A Ravens celebration ensued, as the squad had officially captured their second consecutive NE10 Conference Championship.
 
Following the NE10 postseason, the Dolphins now hold a record of 7-6-6.