'KEENE, N.H. 10/5/05 - Keene State and Babson College battled to a 1-1 tie in a non-conference men's soccer game played Wednesday night at Owl Atheltic Complex.

Ranked 17th nationally and third in New England, Keene State goes to 9-1-1 while Babson, ranked ninth in New England is now 7-2-3.

Babson scored the only goal in the first half on its first shot on net.  Following a misplay in the Owl backfield, Timothy Winn (Sutton, Mass.) put the ball into the far corner for a 1-0 Beaver lead.

KSC put the pressure on the Beavers in the second half.  After Pelse Mesa (Manchester, N.H.) and Mike Cooley's (Northborough, Mass.) bids were denied, Mesa didn't miss on his second opportunity.  Ralph Rocco (Groton, Mass.) got the ball on a deflection and found Mesa in front for the tying goal. It was his fourth goal of the season.

Both teams had scoring chances in the first overtime. Cooley's attempt in the closing seconds of the first overtime went just wide of the far post.

KSC goalie Matt Caron (Amston, Conn.) leaped to corral a lose ball in the crease with 2:37 left to play in the second overtime. Sam Ensslin's (Pen Argyl, Pa.) drive in the  went over the cross bar as time expired. 

KSC Coach Ron Butcher wasn't happy with his teams' play in the first half.  "I usually don't get that mad at halftime, he said.  "I told them we're going after them and if you don't run, I'll bring the freshmen team up. In the second half we took it to them. We got the tying goal, but couldn't get the winner."  

Caron finished with three saves for KSC while Beaver goalie Chris Nicklas (Guilford, Conn.) stopped six shots.

KSC is at Eastern Conn. on Saturday (1 p.m.).