Box Score HENNIKER, N.H.- The Keene State men's soccer team opened their short 2021 spring campaign by scoring the first goal of the game, but then saw the New England College Pilgrims score twice in the second half to drop the Owls in the season opener 2-1. Keene State's goalkeeping duo of
Anthony Pasciuto and
Nate Howard combined to make four saves in the losing effort. New England College netminder Robbie Ferguson was forced to make just one save in the win for New England College.
Records
- Keene State: 0-1
- New England College: 2-0
How it Happened
In the early goings, Keene State put the pressure on the Pilgrims, threatening for the games first goal. Keene's early chance came in just the third minute as a ball was sent into the box and found the head of Keene State junior midfielder
Ethan Rose who deflected the ball off a header onto the cage, but New England College goalie Robbie Ferguson was up to the task to deny the Owls from a goal. The Owls and the Pilgrims exchanged shots through the middle of the first 45 minutes of the contest. New England College connected on two crossbars in both the 12
th and 15
th minute, but they were unable to convert on GK
Anthony Pasciuto. Keene State was able to capitalize on a chance late in the 27
th minute.
After some foot play in the left corner of Keene State's offensive end, senior
Ben Musese came away with the ball for the Owls and set his sights towards goal. After a failed clearing attempt from New England College, Musese took the ball back and rang it off the top of the right post but he was able to get the ball back and fire it right through the middle of the net, to give Keene State the 1-0 lead and their first goal of the abbreviated season. Musese picks up his first career goal for the Owls in his 10
th game played. Two minutes after the Musese goal, New England College came up with their best chance of the first half. After the ball was picked off the Owls, NEC's Alex Rust took a touch and took a shot on net that was handled by
Anthony Pasciuto. To end the first half, both goalkeepers would come away with one save each, with NEC leading in shots 11-6.
New England College would come out firing on the Owls GK
Nate Howard, who came in relief in the second half between the pipes. NEC would find goal just five minutes into the second half when Logan Cassin took a shot that was deflected off a Keene State defender and rolled passed the dive of Howard and into the cage, tying the game at one all. Just ten minutes later, NEC would strike again as Alex Rust would get his revenge on the Keene State goalkeeping from earlier in the contest. The Pilgrims were awarded with a corner kick that was taken and placed just inside that box that was partially cleared by KSC but right to the foot of Rust who took a shot from just outside the box and netted it just under the crossbar, giving New England College the 2-1 lead. New England College would keep the pressure on the Owls but GK
Nate Howard would do all he could to keep the Owls in the game. Keene State was unable to record a shot on goal in the second half, only throwing two shots towards goal in the second half total, a number that was not enough to beat the Pilgrims on Friday night, falling to NEC 2-1.
Inside the Box
- Keene State drops their opening contest of the season to NEC after putting up just two shots in the second half and eight total shots in the game. The Pilgrims dominated the shots department in the competition, putting together 20 total shots with six going on goal.
- Goalkeeper Anthony Pasciuto made one save in the 45 minutes of action in the first half that he saw for Keene. In relief, Nate Howard came away with three saves on five attempts in the losing effort, picking up his first lost since the 2019 NCAA Division III men's soccer tournament first round game against Ithaca College on November 16, 2019.
- Freshman Logan Cassin and sophomore Alex Rust each pick up their first career goals in a Pilgrims uniform on the evening. NEC has now scored six goals in two games on the season, netting four their last time out over Castleton University.
- KSC picks up their first loss in program history against the Pilgrims after allowing just two goals in three previous matchups against NEC. The two squads haven't matched up since 2010.
Up Next
- Keene State will host Connecticut College for their one and only home game of the season on Saturday, May 1 for a 1:00 pm start time. The Owls will entertain the Camels for the first time in program history.
- New England College will wrap up their abbreviated spring 2021 campaign by hosting Anna Maria College on Sunday April 25 at 2:00 pm from Don Melander field.
