KEENE, N.H. 10/8/11 – On a picture-perfect fall afternoon, the Keene State women's soccer team played a picture-perfect game, utilizing an opportunistic offense and a stifling defense to post a 3-0 shutout win over Eastern Conn. State University in a key Little East Conference game at Owls Athletic Complex on Saturday. 

Keene State (9-5, 4-0 LEC), which registers its third consecutive shutout victory, takes over sole possession of first place in the LEC and gets a leg up in the battle for the top seed and home field advantage in the conference tournament. 

It was a satisfying win for the Owls, who had dropped 10 of their last 11 games to the Warriors (6-6, 3-1), who fall into a second place tie with Western Conn and UMass-Boston.  "We knew there was a lot at stake today, so we had to step it up" said KSC Coach Denise Lyons.   "We created opportunities and finished them off and our defense was tight in the back."

Both teams played cautiously in the first half with scoring opportunities hard to come by.  Returning to the Owls' starting line-up after suffering a neck injury in a mid-September car accident, sophomore midfielder Kristen Huckins (Westmoreland, N.H.) gave Keene State a 1-0 lead at the 62:03 mark of the second half on a well-placed drive for 25-yards out that found the upper left corner of the net.  "I was just trying to keep myself open toward the top of the box because that's one of my better spots to shoot," said Huckins about her first goal of the season.  "I looked up toward the net and saw I had a wide open shot. So once I got it I knew where to go.  I'm just glad I was able to come up big in such a big game."

Junior Joan Hamel (Weare, N.H.) scored a key insurance goal eight minutes later.  "I was yelling at Alex (Haley) to send it through, said Hamel, describing her third goal of the season.  "The ball bounced off my foot awkwardly, but fortunately went right in front of me so I was able to shoot.  We knew weren't going to get many opportunities.  When we had them we had to get them in."

Playing a disciplined game and beating the Warriors to the ball, the Owls defense made the lead stand up.  Eastern Conn had just seven shots on goal in the game and just three in the second half.  In one of the few break downs, freshman Whitney Mantel (Stamford, Conn.) out-raced the Owls' Kelsie Bailey (Barre, Vt.) for the ball.  She chipped the ball over the head of KSC senior goalie Megan Dempsey (East Weymouth, Mass.) but her bid went just wide of the right post. "We did a good job with our transitional marks," said Bailey. "If someone was moving over we made sure one of us went with them and picked them up. Communications was key." 

"We knew we had to be really physical," said senior back Melissa Dempsey (East Weymouth, Mass.). "Our back four and middle were very strong."  

An appreciative Megan Dempsey applauded the work of her defense.  "They played really smart today and didn't let them get any good shots off," said Dempsey, who finished with seven saves for her seventh shutout of the season and 25th of her career. "I couldn't ask for more."  

Warrior junior goalie Mackenzie MacLeod (Northfield, Conn.) turned aside two shots. 

"It's a great win going into the last half of the season and just a big confidence booster for the whole team," said Melissa Dempsey.

Keene State travels to Bridgewater State in Wednesday (7 p.m.).  Eastern Conn. hosts Amherst College on Tuesday (4 p.m.).