KEENE, N.H., 9/25/10 – Sophomore Joe Senecal (Manchaug, Mass.) and junior Alex Larson (Williamsport, Pa.) scored second half goals to lead Keene State to a 2-1 come-from-behind upset win over #12 Eastern Conn. State University in a Little East Conference men's soccer game played at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday.

Winners of four straight, Keene State improves to 7-2 (2-0 LEC). Eastern Conn., (5-2-1, 1-1 LEC), ranked second in New England, suffered its second straight loss.

The Warriors took a 1-0 lead at the 4:34 mark of the first half.  After sophomore Cory Tobler (Portland, Conn.) was taken down in the box, junior Matt Esposito (East Haven, Conn.) scored on a penalty kick

KSC sophomore goalie Nick Allman (Newburyport, Mass.) kept it a one goal game with a diving stop at the corner of net on a bid by sophomore Jon DeCasanova (Glastonbury, Conn.) seven minutes into the second half.

The Owls went on the offensive from there.  Senior Luke Sisco (Pine Plains, N.Y.) had a drive that ECSU junior goalie Carl Appel (West Windsor, N.J.) tipped over the cross-bar.

KSC tied the game five minutes later when freshman Scott Douglas (East Greenwich, R.I.) sent in Senecal for a breakaway goal.  "Scotty gave me a great through ball and I just ran with it," said Senecal about his team-leading sixth goal of the season.

Appel, who finished with six saves, denied the Owls with a couple of nice saves to keep the game tied.  He stopped a close-range bid by Senecal at the 24:50 mark and came out of the net to turn back a shot by freshman Bryce Lawlor (Woodbury, Conn.).

Larson's game winning goal with 14:02 to play came off a corner kick by freshman Mike Mulhall (Delmar, N.Y.). Lawlor headed the ball over to Larson, who volleyed the ball into the back of the net.  "I saw the ball coming back post from the minute it went over my head. I just turned around and put it in the net," said Larson, who has two goals this season.

Strong play by the Owls midfield and defense kept the ball in the Warrior side of the field the rest of the way.  "The defense starts all the way from the top and works its way to the back," said sophomore back Blake Nyman (Plymouth, Mass.).  We did a real good job today creating pressure and were able to keep them in their half.  When you faced a team that's 12th in the nation it gets the blood flowing a little bit.  We did a real good job today from keepers to strikers and it shows we can compete with anybody as long as we come ready to play."

Freshman Romero Johnson (Bridgeport, Conn.) had a chance to get the equalizer for the Warriors in the closing minute of play, but his drive sailed just wide of the post.

Keene State finished the game with an advantage in shots (12-7) and corner kicks (7-2).

Allman made three saves to post his fourth win of the season.

"We came in knowing what we had to do and put it together on the field," said Senecal.

"Today we put it all together and controlled most of the game," said KSC coach Ron Butcher.  We picked up the intensity in the second half and got two great goals and the midfield worked their tails off. That was the difference."

Keene State is at Babson on Wednesday.