KEENE, N.H. – After suffering their first loss of the season in their previous contest, the Keene State College men's soccer team bounced back with a second half comeback to defeat Endicott College for the first time in program history, 2-1.

Records

• Keene State: 5-1 (0-1 LEC)
• Endicott: 3-2 (1-1 CNE)

Highlights...coming soon
Postgame Interview (Coach Schmidt)
Postgame Interview (Damir Hamzic/Martin Lubunga)

How it Happened
Both teams started off the contest slower on the attack as all three shots by KSC over the opening 18 minutes missed the target. Endicott responded with the first shot on goal shortly after, but the Owls' starting goalkeeper, Giuseppe Denucce-Simms, saved the first shot on target by either team on the game. Both teams had corner kicks shortly after, but it would not amount to anything as the score remained scoreless with 15 minutes remaining in the half. With 10:15 remaining in the opening half, following a turnover in the Owls' defensive half, EC was able to jump ahead as Fisher Miller found the back of the net for the Gulls. The rest of the opening half Denucce-Simms made another pair of saves to limit the lead to one at the half.
 
The Owls came out in the second half on fire as they scored a pair of goals 1:13 apart to take the lead from the Gulls. The first of the two came as Cristian Correa fired a shot on net that Brady O'Toole was unable to collect as Damir Hamzic fired the loose ball into the net for the goal. On the second, it was shortly after a corner kick, where Pietro Bergozza flicked a pass in the box back to Martin Lubunga, who headed the ball past the Gulls' defense to put KSC ahead by one with Under 35 minutes remaining. Mateu Farre-Torres entered the net for the Owls at the half and made a huge impact the rest of the contest as he saved a huge opportunity for EC as they tried to head home the tying goal from one of their three corners in a row by Farre-Torres knocked the shot away to preserve the lead for the moment. Endicott had another chance at a tying goal with less than 15 minutes remaining, but Sam Cochran's shot was saved by an Owl defender who saved the shot off the line to hold the Gulls once again from drawing even. In the final 10 minutes of the contest the Owls were the only one with a shot on goal as O'Toole saved a shot on Gaines Roberts, as KSC was able to hand EC their second loss of the season.
 
Inside the Box

• KSC improves to 1-3 in the all-time series between the two teams, ending their three-game winless streak against the Gulls.
• KSC and EC both had 13 shots on goal, but EC had a 6-5 edge on shots on goal.
• EC also had over double the amount of corners compared to KSC, 9-4, while doubling the amount of fouls (18-9).
• Hamzic scored his first goal since his junior season in 2023 in the win, while Lubunga tallied his second goal of the season as he already has six points, after having seven across his freshman season.

Up Next


Keene State returns to LEC play for their next contest as they travel to take on the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth on Saturday, September 20, at 3:00 PM.
Endicott hosts Suffolk University for their next contest as they return to CNE play on Saturday, September 20, at 7:00 PM.