Box Score KEENE, N.H.- The Keene State Owls men's soccer team saw two goals in just over two minutes in the first half, and solid defense all game long leading the charge to victory over the UMass Boston Beacons.
Records:
- Keene State: 12-5-0 (5-2-0 LEC)
- UMass Boston: 11-3-2 (4-2-1 LEC)
How it Happened:
The Keene State Owls got the game going early as in the 10th minute of the contest, the Beacons turned the ball over right outside of the box and the Owls were able to capitalize. It was Emmanuel Smith who jumped on the loose ball and sent a through pass to Connor Downey who was able to roof the ball just under the cross bar and into the net, giving the Owls the early 1-0 advantage.
Just two minutes and 21 seconds later, it was the Owls attack again finding goal when Emmanuel Smith once again sent a through ball passed the defenders of the UMass Boston Beacons and found the left foot of James McCully who put in his first goal since October 5 for his sixth goal of the season. McCully put the ball past a diving Omar Castro-Dreher and into the left side of the net, doubling the Owls lead which stood at 2-0.
UMass Boston would quickly cut the lead in half as just 34 seconds after McCully netted his sixth of the season, it was Nicholas Fontana finding twine when he received a cross pass from Nilton de Andrade and used his head to put the ball into the top left side of the net, passed the dive of Owls GK Anthony Pasciuto, giving the Beacons their first goal of the contest.
The two teams would gather into halftime with the Owls leading 2-1. KSC and UMass Boston would fight for every inch in the second half, with minimal chances at goal for either squad. The Beacons best chance of the afternoon came in the 79th minute when the Owls committed a foul just outside of the box resulting in a free kick for UMB. Yuran Teixeira lined up a shot that sailed up and over the bar. UMass Boston's Yasser El Hasnaoui would get the final shot on goal for the Beacons in the 87th minute, but Anthony Pasciuto came up with the save, finalizing the score at 2-1 in favor of the Owls.
Inside the Box:
- Very few shots were taken in the contest, with UMass Boston having the slight edge 10-7. Both squads took four shots each in the first half, with the Beacons taking an extra three in the second half.
- Keene's Connor Downey and James McCully both registered goal number six on the season. Downey now ties his total in goals from last year, while McCully continues to set his mark as a freshman. McCully came away with two total shots on the contest with his one shot on goal being the eventual game winning goal.
- The Beacon's Nicholas Fontana registered his eighth goal of the season after his header in the 13thminute found the back of the net. That marking is good for second on the team, behind Nilton de Andrade who has 12 goals on the season.
- A total of 46 fouls were registered in the contest, with 28 fouls on Keene State and 18 fouls committed by UMass Boston.
- GK Anthony Pasciuto came away with four saves on the afternoon, two in each half. GK Omar Castro-Dreher came up with two saves on the afternoon, with one in each half.
Up Next:
- Keene State will have their final non-conference game of the season on Tuesday, October 29 when they travel to Worcester to take on the Worcester State Lancers. Kick-off is set for 7:00 pm.
- UMass Boston will also play their final non-conference game on Tuesday, October 29 when they travel to Springfield College to take on the Pride. That game is scheduled for a 3:30 pm start.
