KEENE, NH  –  Having been dominated by the Eastern Connecticut State University women's soccer team over the last five years, Keene State College exacted a measure of revenge Saturday by ending  the Warriors' 15-match regular-season Little East Conference unbeaten streak with a 2-0 verdict  at Owls' Athletic Complex.

 By winning the battle of conference unbeatens, Keene (9-5-0, 4-0-0 Little East) takes over sole possession of the conference lead, with Eastern (6-6-0, 3-1-0 Little East), Massachusetts Boston and Western Connecticut State University all three points back with 3-1-0 records.

Since losing at Keene State in overtime in 2009, Eastern had gone unbeaten (13-0-2) in 15 regular-season LEC matches until Saturday. Since a season-high three-game winning streak, No. 10 New England-ranked  Eastern has dropped consecutive 2-0 decisions.

In the previous 11 meetings with Keene, Eastern had won nine times, including last year's come-from-behind 3-2 verdict at home in a match where the Owls had scored the first two goals.

With three regular-season conference matches remaining, Keene remains in the hunt for  its fifth unbeaten conference regular season since 2000. In important regular-season conference matches remaining, Eastern hosts UMass Boston Saturday, Western visits UMass Boston Oct. 22, then hosts Keene State on the final day of the regular season Oct. 29. The top six teams in the final LEC standings qualify for the post-season tournament, with the top two seeds gaining first-round byes.

Eastern finished unbeaten in winning last year's LEC regular-season title. Assured of an NCAA berth due to an unbeaten record, the Warriors were upended on PKs in the conference semifinals by UMass Boston before going on two win the New England regional tournament at Mansfield. Eastern, Keene and Western have combined to win all 12 LEC tournament crowns.

Both teams played cautiously in the first half Saturday, with scoring opportunities hard to come by.  Sophomore midfielder Kristen Huckins gave Keene State a 1-0 lead at the 62:03 mark of the second half on a well-placed drive for 25-yards out that found the upper left corner of the net.            

Junior Joan Hamel scored a key insurance goal eight minutes later for Keene, which improved to 5-1-0 at home this year. Eastern is 3-5-0 away from home in 2011.

Eastern had an opportunity to score when freshman Whitney Mantel (Stamford) out-raced the Owls' Kelsie Bailey for the ball, chipping it over the head of Keene  senior keeper Megan Dempsey, but her bid went just wide of the right post.

Both teams had 11 shots, with Dempsey making seven saves to hand the Warriors their third shutout loss this season. Eastern junior Mackenzie MacLeod (Northfield) made only two saves as the hosts were limited to putting just four of their shots on net.

Eastern hosts Amherst College Tuesday at 4 p.m. Amherst is ranked No. 2 in New England and No. 14 nationally. The Warriors posted a 2-1 verdict over Amherst last year on the road to remain unbeaten at 12-0-1, getting goals from Daniela Marchitto (Orange) and Jo-Ann Merheb (Bethel), the latter the result of a penalty kick.