KEENE, N.H.  9/10/08 - Junior midfielder Kendra Spencer's (Petoskey, Mich.)goal with 2:21 to play gave Keene State a 2-1 victory over Smith College in non-conference women's soccer action at Owl athletic Complex on Wednesday night.

Picking up a deflected ball from freshman Leah Teter (Granville, Mass.), Spencer drilled a shot into the far right corner for the game-winner.  "I was lucky to be there, and I just put it in," said Spencer about her second goal of the season. 

"Kendra took some shots, she shouldn't have taken, but came through and got the one that counted," said KSC Coach Denise Lyons.  "We created a lot of opportunities all game, but just didn't finish.  I told them to be patient and eventually it will come."

KSC had several good scoring opportunities in the early going. Freshman forward Sia Karamourtopoulos's (Freemont, N.H.) shot from the top of the box sailed over the net. Minutes later, sophomore forward Katie Bradford (Lebanon, N.H.) was sent in alone, but her bid was denied by Smith College goalie Lauren Bachtel (Dublin, OH.), who came out to knock away her shot.  

But it was the Pioneers who struck first on a corner. Just entering the game, freshman midfielder Eleanor Theurer (Gainesville, Fla.) got a shoulder on junior Robin Chang's kick and put it past Owl junior goalie Samantha Hirsh at the 31:45 mark. It was the first goal of the season for the Pioneers.

Smith had a chance to extend its lead minutes into the second half. A shot by junior forward Valerie Driscoll (Keene, N.H.) hit off the far post and was picked up by freshman Megan Dempsey (Weymouth, Mass.) who took over in goal for the Owls.  KSC continued to miss opportunities in the second half.  Karamortopoulos got behind the Pioneer defense, but her shot went wide.

The Owls got the equalizer at the 56:24 mark.  Junior midfielder Molly Brunelle (Walpole, N.H.) set up Karamoutopoulos in front. The freshman forward settled the ball and put a shot into the top of the net past the out-stretched arms of Bachtel for her first college goal. 

Sophomore forward Nora Mahoney (Belchertown, Mass.) just missed giving KSC its first lead of the game midway in the half, but her shot from the right side sailed over the cross bar.

Spencer didn't miss her opportunity to net the game winner in the closing minutes.

Driscoll had a chance to send the game into overtime.  With Dempsey out of position, and facing an open net, her shot went wide of the post with 50 seconds to play.

KSC had a wide margin in shots (38-7). 

Hirsh played the first half and didn't make a save for KSC.  Seeing action for the second time this season, Dempsey stopped one shot in the second half.

Bachtel was busy in the Pioneer net, making 12 saves.

Keene State (4-1) will be at Framingham State on Saturday (11 a.m.)

Still looking for its first win, Smith (0-3) returns home to face Elms College on Saturday (2 p.m.).