GORHAM, Maine  --  Junior Sinisa Bajic (Belgrade, Serbia/Portland HS) scored the only goal of the match early in the second half to give the University of Southern Maine Huskies a 1-0 victory over the Keene State College Owls in a Little East Conference men's soccer match Saturday afternoon at the USM Soccer Field.
   

The win was the first for the Huskies against the Owls since 1980 (0-12-3), and the first in Little East Conference play since the Owls joined the conference in 1997 (0-9-1).  The Huskies improved their overall mark to 4-1-1.  The Owls, unbeaten in their previous three matches (2-0-1), dipped to 2-3-1 overall.  The match was the league opener for both sides.
       

Bajic netted his sixth goal of the season after a great individual effort by junior Greg Cox (Brookline, Mass./Hebron Academy).  Cox won a 50-50 ball at midfield and dribbled all the way into the Keene State penalty area where he cut back a pass to an unmarked Bajic who calmly slotted home a six-yard shot just 16 seconds into the second half.
       

Keene State turned up the pressure as the second half wore on looking for the equalizer.  The best scoring opportunity for the Owls came late in the match when sophomore Mike Cooley (Northboro, Mass./Algonquin) bent a free kick over the USM defending wall, but sophomore goalkeeper David Kreps (Agawam, Mass./Wilbraham & Monson) read the shot perfectly and made the save.
    

Keene State finished the match with a 14-7 advantage In shots and a 7-3 margin in corner kicks.  Kreps was credited with three saves to collect his fourth shutout of the campaign.  Keene State senior goalkeeper Cal Mintz (Westport, Conn./Staples) finished with one save.
 

Southern Maine returns to action on Tuesday (4:30 p.m.) when it travels to Bowdoin College.  Keene State will host Babson College under the lights (7:00 p.m.) on Wednesday.

(Courtesy USM Sports Information)