KEENE, N.H. – After opening the season 3-0, the Keene State College Rocket League team looked to remain perfect on Monday night against Kettering University, another team without a loss on the season thus far. After a close first game where the Owls took the win in overtime, the Bulldogs came back and won the next three, handing Keene State their first loss on the season. 

Records

• Keene State: 3-1
• Kettering: 3-0

How it Happened

Kettering University got on the board first in game one, as "Ciakman" sent a shot into the back of the Owls' goal, following a centering cross by "Qxackd" to put KU up with 2:20 left to play in the first game. "Qxackd" then netted an aerial goal just six second later after the faceoff. Soon after, Alex Nimiroski assisted in setting up a shot for Eric Carlo, who fired it into the Bulldogs goal, pulling KSC to within a goal with 1:47 left. Just nine seconds later, Carlo netted another goal, coming from Nimiroski, after he centered a pass to Carlo and then was able to hit the KU defender off his line, allowing for Carlo's shot to find the back of the net for the Owls. With 33 seconds left, "TSB" took the ball down the field and scored giving KU the lead. As it looked like the Bulldogs would pick up the win in game one as time was running out, Nimiroski crossed the ball to the middle that "Qxackd" misplayed and sent it right to Keegan Wilder, who capitalized on the Bulldogs' mistake, tying the game up for the Owls at three with just one second left on the clock. In sudden-death overtime, the teams traded possessions back and forth, but two minutes into overtime, Carlo saved a shot from KU, which set up Nimiroski for the aerial shot on the other end of the field, for the game winning goal, giving the Owls the 4-3 win in overtime.
 
"TSB" scored first in game two for Kettering, two minutes into the round. Keene State answered back soon after, as Wilder made a save on the defensive end and sent the ball up to Nimiroski, who juked out the Bulldog defender and sent the shot past him, evening the game at one apiece. 14 seconds later, KSC jumped ahead with Nimiroski netting another goal, putting the Owls up with 2:22 left. With just under two minutes in the game "Qxackd" sent a centering ball off the wall to "TSB", who tied the game up with two on the equalizing goal. The Bulldogs scored another goal 29 seconds later, as "TSB" assisted "Ciakman" on the go-ahead goal. KU locked down the Owls through the rest of the game and tied the series up 1-1 with their 3-2 win in game two.
 
In game three, the Bulldogs dominated on their way to a 3-0 win in the game. "Qxackd" assisted "TSB" on the first goal for KU, 1:11 into the contest. Then with 1:57 left, "Ciakman" assisted "Qxackd" with an aerial pass to put the Bulldogs up 2-0. Just seven seconds later, "TSB" sent a centering pass off the Owls' back wall to "Qxackd", who shot the ball just over Carlo and into KSC's goal, which stood as the final goal of the round, giving KU a 2-1 series lead.
 
KSC made two subs to try to mount a comeback as Lucas Smolarz and Jacob Ekroth joined Nimiroski in game four, but the Bulldogs scored a goal just seven seconds into the round, as "Qxackd" faked out an Owl defender and tapped the ball into the goal for the lead. After Nimiroski made a save on the defensive end for the Owls, Ekroth was able to send a pass back to him at midfield and then pick up a demolition on a Bulldog player, allowing Nimiroski's shot from midfield to find the back of the net and tie the game up at one with 3:46 left in the contest. 17 second later, Nimiroski was able to save an aerial shot from "Qxackd", but "TSB" followed the shot and sent the rebound into the goal, putting KU back ahead. Ekroth tied the game for the Owls with 2:09 left to play, as he capitalized on a missed hit from KU, and tied the game up at two. Neither team scored the rest of regulation, as the teams headed to sudden-death overtime, and after trading attempts back and forth, it would be the Bulldogs that prevailed, 5:36 into the overtime period, as "Ciakman" shot the ball on goal, as the Owls were out of position, and picked up the 3-2 game win, giving KU the 3-1 series win.
 
Up Next


Keene State's next contest for Rocket League will come on Friday, March 8, at 8:00 PM against Florida Tech.
The next Esports contest for the Owls will come in less than 24 hours, as the Overwatch 2 team will take on the University of Missouri Kansas City on Tuesday, February 27, at 8:15 PM.