KEENE, N.H. 10/25/08 - Sophomore forward Eric Martens' (Peterborough, N.H.) goal at the 6:19 mark of overtime lifted the Keene State men's soccer team to a  3-2 win over UMass-Boston before a Homecoming Day crowd at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday.

            Standing at the corner of the net, Martens headed in a ball that was sent into in the box by senior back Ryan Farnsworth (Merrimack, N.H.) "Farnie played a good ball across and I was at the right place at the right time," said Martens about his first goal of the season and game-winner.  "We needed to win the game, so everyone came to play."

            "It seems like every game we give up a big goal in the last two minutes, but we scrapped the whole game and guys stepped up today," said KSC Coach Ron Butcher. "I'm just happy for the guys because we're still alive."  

            The victory kept Keene State (6-8-3, 2-3-1) hopes of claiming the fifth and final spot for the LEC tournament alive. 

            UMass-Boston drops to 4-1 and 0-6 in the LEC.

            Sophomore midfielder Alex Cavallero (Lenox, Mass.) gave the Beacons a 1-0 lead at the 23:34 mark when he knocked in a crossing ball following an indirect kick by senior midfielder Romeo Zeqo (Medford, Mass.). 

            Alex Horne (Harvard, Mass.), one of five Owl seniors honored before the game, tied the game with his team leading ninth goal of the season at the 33:23 mark. Following a foul, sophomore midfielder Rob Musto (Guilford, Conn.) put a direct kick into the box. Freshman forward Quinton McMillian (Springfield, Mass.) deflected the ball over to Horne who slid the ball into the net.

            Junior forward Scott Cluff (Kingston, Mass.) had a chance to extend KSC's lead, but his drive to the far corner was stopped by a diving save by Beacon junior goalie Domenick Persuitte (West Barnstable, Mass.).

            Keene State took a 2-1 lead with just over three minutes to play in the half. Cluff put the ball in the box and freshman midfielder Kyle Geddes (Bow, N.H.) knocked it into the net for his second goal of the season.

            Attempting to tie the game, UMB had a flurry of shots in the closing seconds of the half.  Owl junior goalie Peter Kersker (Beverly, Mass.) came out to stop a shot by junior Matthew Parentele (Holyoke, Mass.),  a rebound shot by Zequo was stopped just before it went over the line by KSC midfielder Ross Stanton (Bethlehem, N.Y), and a final attempt by junior Tola Familoni (East Greenwich, R.I.) was blocked by a wall of Owl players.

            KSC had a couple of opportunities to add to their lead early in the second half. Persuitte came out to stop a bid by junior back Nathan Gaughan (Harwinton, Conn.), and a shot by Horne hit off the post. Later in the half, another drive by Gaughan clanged off the cross bar.   With 20 minutes to play, Gaughan was set up in front by Horne, but his bid just went over the bar.

            Cluff and Horne also had chances to get an insurance goal for KSC with five minutes to play, but both shots were stopped by Persuitte.

             However, the Beacons got the equalizer with 1:44 to go.  Taking a direct kick from the top of the box, Zeqo put the ball into the top left corner of the net for his team leading ninth goal of the season.

            That set the stage for Martens game-winner in overtime.

            Kersker stopped five shots for KSC.  Persuitte finished the game with nine saves for the Beacons.

            Keene State travels to #5 nationally ranked Middlebury College on Tuesday (2 p.m.). UMass-Boston is at Plymouth State on next Saturday (1 p.m.).