KEENE, N.H.  10/4/08 - Keene State College and Eastern Conn. State University battled to a 2-2 double-overtime stalemate in Little East Conference men's soccer action at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday. The game was a rematch of last year's Little East Championship, awarded to the Warriors in penalty kicks.

Freshman midfielder Jon Fothergill's (Merrimack, N.H.) goal at the 78:42 mark of the second half enabled the Owls to tie up the Warriors, ranked ninth in this week's New England poll.

"Alex Larson headed the ball over to me and I just crashed the goal and tried to get any body part on it and put it in the back of the net, "said Fothergill about his tying and second goal of the season.

Junior forward Maxim Fantl (West Hartford, Conn.) had an opportunity to give the Warriors a lead in the opening minutes of play, but his drive sailed just wide of the far post.

An ECSU foul resulted in the first goal of the game.  Taking a direct kick from just outside the box, KSC junior midfielder Matt Johnson (Walpole, N.H.) drove a direct kick shot over the out-stretched arms of Warrior freshman keeper Carl Apple (West Windsor, N.J.) and into the top corner of the net to give the Owls a 1-0 lead at the 8:29 mark.

Making his first start of the season, freshman forward Quinton McMillian (Springfield, Mass.) had a chance to add to the Owls' lead but his close-range range shot was smothered by Apple. Later, a header by senior back Shawn Booth (Windsor Locks, Conn.) went just over the cross bar.

Taking advantage of its few scoring opportunities in the first half, ECSU got the equalizer with 46 seconds to go, when senior back Jimmy McConville (Manchester, Conn.) headed in a cross from freshman back Aaron Smiles (Bedford, Mass.).

McMillian had a chance to give KSC back the lead 15 minutes in the second half, but Apple robbed him with a diving stop of his attempt.

ECSU took advantage of its opportunity at the 71:04 mark.  Junior midfielder Mike Vekakis (Colchester, Conn.) found junior back Nicholas Boretti (Marshfield, Mass.) alone in the box and he tipped the ball past KSC junior goalie Peter Kersker (Beverly, Mass.) to give the Warriors a 2-1 lead.

McMillian continued to make his presence felt up front for KSC.  With 16:25 he fired a low, hard shot ticketed for the corner, but a diving save by Apple denied his bid.

Keene State eventually got the ball by Apple with just under 12 minutes to play in regulation.  A pair of freshman midfielder s hooked up for the goal with Fothergill knocking in a cross from Alex Larson (Williamsport, Pa.) to knot the score at two-all.

Kersker made a pair of diving saves off the foot of Fantl to keep the Warriors from taking the lead.  One came at in the closing minutes of regulation and the other coming at the 2:35 mark of the fist overtime.  

 Apple came up big again for the Warriors at the 6:40 mark of the second overtime when he went air borne to stop a shot by Fothergill.

"That last shot he came up big, Fothergill said.  "I thought it was going over his head, but he got a finger on it.  I know they're one of the top teams in the Little East Conference, but we came to play, but we just couldn't find the back of the net.

Apple stopped 10 shots for the Warriors while Kersker finished the game with five saves for the Owls.  

The last four meetings between the two teams have resulted in ties.

Still looking for its first LEC win of the season, Keene State (3-5-3, 0-2-1 LEC) is at Salem State for a non-conference tilt on Wednesday (6:30 p.m.).

Eastern (6-1-3, 1-0-2 LEC) returns home to face Becker College on Tuesday (4 p.m.).