KEENE, N.H. 9/13/08 - Keene State and No. 5 regionally ranked Wheaton College battled to a 2-2 double-overtime tie at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday.

            It was the second year in a row KSC (2-1-2) and Wheaton (2-0-2) played to a stalemate.

            The Owls didn't waste anytime getting on the board.  Junior midfielder Scott Cluff (Kingston, Mass.) gave KSC a 1-0 lead 1:46 in to the game.  Cluff took a crossing ball from senior forward Alex Horne (Harvard, Mass.) and tucked the ball past Wheaton College sophomore goalie Cole Davidson (Needham, Mass.) for his third goal of the season.

            Sophomore back David Ferriero (Medway, Mass.) got the equalizer for the Lyons at the 27:14 mark of the first half.  Ferriero knocked in a crossing ball from freshman midfielder Chris Thomas (Cumberland, Me.).

            Horne had an opportunity to give KSC a lead late in the half, but his close-range shot from the left side was knocked away by Davidson with 4:44 to play. 

            KSC goalie Peter Kersker (Beverly, Mass.) kept it a tie game when he made a diving save off the foot of sophomore forward Josh Solomon at the 28:45 mark of the second half.

            After midfielder Ross Stanton (Bethlehem, N.Y.) was tripped in the box, Horne gave KSC a 2-1 lead when buried a penalty kick to the right side of the net at 70:32.

            It was a short-lived lead for the Owls.  Less than two minutes later, Ferriero set up sophomore forward Josh Solomon (Acton, Mass.) in front. Solomon put the ball in the right corner of the net for his third goal of the season.

            Sophomore midfielder Jake Wagner (Sudbury, Mass.) had a chance to put the Lyons ahead with 8:10 to play, but his header, following a corner kick, was stopped by Kersker. 

            After a hand ball was called in the Wheaton box, Horne had a chance to give the Owls a lead with 1:16 to play.  But his penalty shot attempt to the left corner was stopped by Davidson.

            The two teams played two scoreless overtime periods.

            "It was a typical Keene State-Wheaton game, hard-fought, a lot of fouls, and good scoring opportunities for both sides," said KSC Coach Ron Butcher.  "We had the game won with 1:16 to go. Why Alex (Horne) second-guessed himself and went the other way on his second penalty kick? I don't know, but I was pretty happy with the effort of the guys, they never stopped working for 110 minutes."   

          Kersker stopped six shots for the Owls while Davidson turned back four shots for the Lyons,

           Keene State is at Babson College on Wednesday (4 p.m.) Wheaton returns home to face Western New England College on Tuesday (4 p.m.).