Box Score KEENE, N.H.--The Keene State College men's soccer team picked up their first Little East Conference win of the season with a 3-1 triumph over Rhode Island College on Saturday at a rain soaked Owl Athletic Complex.
The win gives the Owls consecutive victories for the first time this season, and puts them at 5-5 overall, and 1-2 with in the LEC. The Anchormen fall to 6-4-1, and 1-1-1 within the Little East.
Playing in consistent, pouring rain, the Anchormen had the game's first chance when Emmanuel Asiedu whistled a shot wide just 35 seconds into the contest. Kwasi Boateng then hit the post in the fourth minute before the Owls started to boss the game around.
Conor Leahy had a pair of headed attempts on goal that were wrapped up by RIC goalie Adam Ghazal, while Promise Kpee pushed a shot wide in the 16th minute.
The Owls scored first in the 30th minute, when a loose ball fell to Riley Steele, who stabbed home an unassisted goal past the dive of Ghazal for his first collegiate marker.
Jose Zarraga fired over the bar in the closing seconds of the half, as the Owls went into the break up 1-0.
Seven minutes into the second half, KSC doubled their lead. Eddie Mercer was hacked down in the penalty area, and dusted himself off to convert the spot kick in the 53rd minute.
Aidan Dean nearly added a third in the 60th minute, but the Owls did make it 3-0 in the 65th. A deflected Cam Rogers free kick ended up on the foot of Kaleb Lique-Naitove, whose pass to Kpee needed the slightest of touches to beat Ghazal from close range.
Rhode Island College did pull a goal back six minutes from time, as David Ricci looped in a cross that Akiel Legall headed in for his second goal of the season.
Mark Keller made two saves to pick up the win in the KSC net, while counterpart Ghazal finished with six stops. KSC outshot RIC 15-10.
The Owls will look to make it three in a row when they host Gordon College on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The Anchormen are off until next Saturday, when they will host Plymouth State University on October 11 at 1 p.m.
$website.include("FBHTML")
