KEENE, N.H. 9/4/10 – Host Keene State and Saint Joseph's College of Maine posted opening game wins at the XARA men's soccer tournament at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday. 

Sophomore Joe Senecal's (Manchaug, Mass.) overtime goal, his second of the game, lifted Keene State to a 3-2 win over Kean (N.J.) University in the second game of the day.  In Saturday's first game, Saint Joseph's shutout Fitchburg State 3-0.  A tournament with predetermined opponents has Saint Joseph's (1-0) facing Kean (1-1) on Sunday at noon. KSC (2-0) goes up against Fitchburg (0-1) at 2:30 p.m.

Senecal's game-winner at the 92:21 mark of the first overtime period was set up by sophomore Michael Broder (Peterborough, N.H.).  "It was a bouncing through ball and I just touched it over the top to Joey," said Broder.  "He caught the keeper out of position and it was enough for him to tuck it away.

"I just picked my corner and put it where I wanted too," said Senecal. " It was a great team effort for the home opener."

Freshman Scott Douglas's (East Greenwich, R.I.) first college goal on a counter attack at the 36:27 mark of the first half gave KSC a 1-0 lead. Freshman Bryce Lawlor (Naugatuck, Conn.) got an assist on the play. Sophomore Abner Dennis (Curitiba, Brazil) scored on a crossing ball with three minutes to go in the half to tie the game for Kean.

Six minutes into the second half, Senecal put the Owls up 2-1 when he took a pass from senior Cam Blair (Keene, N.H.) and headed the ball past Cougar senior goalie Alfredo Oquendo (North Plainfield, N.J.).

Junior Dennis Correia (Elizabeth, N.J.) made it a 2-2 game at the 62:10 mark, taking an end-line ball feed from junior Erick Solis (Summit, N.J.) and beating KSC junior keeper Paul Blackmer (Boylston, Mass.).

The game went into overtime where Senecal kept KSC undefeated in the early season. 

Blackmer, who was making his first start in goal for KSC, finished with two saves.  Oquendo turned aside four shot doe the Cougars.

Saint Joseph's got goals from three different players and junior Nick Campasano (Goffstown, N.H.) finished with five saves in the Monks' opening season win against Fitchburg State.

After missing several strong opportunities in a scoreless first half, the Monks took a 1-0 lead just over a minute into the second half when senior back Eamonn Harrigan (Caribou, Me.) drilled a shot into the back of the net with a drive from 24-yards out. 

Sophomore Jack LaFreniere (Alton, N.H.) made it a 2-0 game 14 minutes later when he chipped a shot past Falcon senior goalie Alex Ivanov (Carlisle, Mass.). 

The FSC defense made a couple of spectacular plays in the game.  In the first half, junior back Brian Bettencourt (Norton, Mass.) stopped a bid by junior forward Tyler Rand (Westbrook, Me) when he stopped the ball just before it went across the goal line.  With the Monks up 2-0, Ivanov reached out and a save on a close-range shot by LaFreniere. 

Senior forward Ross Suleski (Amesbury, Mass.) completed the scoring for the Monks when he headed home a pass from senior midfielder Paul Robbins (Cornwall, Eng.) with 5:52 to play.

St. Joseph's outshot the Falcons 21-7.  Ivanov had five saves for the Fitchburg.