GORHAM, Maine--Sophomore forward
Mbambi Mbungu netted a goal in each half, lifting the Keene State College men's soccer team to a 2-0 win over the University of Southern Maine at Hannaford Field on Saturday afternoon.
Records
- Keene State: 5-6-3, 3-1-2 LEC
- Southern Maine: 4-10-1, 0-7 LEC
How it Happened
Mbungu got the Owls up and running in the fourth minute of the game, as
Ethan Rose sent in a cross and the Owls' sophomore forward controlled it with one touch before curving a shot past USM goalie Hayes Estrella.
Keene State kept pushing the tempo, with
Vance Bates trying his luck against Estrella, before the Huskies had their first shot on goal as Yahya Altie, then Sean Brueninghaus forced stops from Keene State goalie
Nate Howard.
Leading 1-0 at the break, the Owls doubled their lead 16 minutes into the second half, and it was Mbungu again doing the damage.
Noah Spaulding's pass was inch-perfect, and Mbungu tapped in a the far post for his fifth of the season.
The Owls could have added a third in the 85th minute, as
Brandon Comire planted a header against the crossbar. Howard finished with five saves to earn his second shutout of the season.
Playoff Permutations
- Keene State officially clinched a berth in the LEC tournament with the win. The Owls currently have 11 points in the league standings, and cannot be caught by seventh place Castleton, which has six points and just one game remaining.
Up Next
- The Owls hit the road one final time in 2021, traveling to Eastern Connecticut State on October 25 for a game that begins at 2:30 p.m.
- USM resumes with a home tilt against UMaine-Farmington, on October 26 at 6 p.m.
