Box Score KEENE.N.H. – For the first time in 11 matches this season, the No. 24 nationally-ranked Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team did not come off the field with a win.
But under the circumstances, the Warriors can find satisfaction in Saturday's 1-1 overtime tie with Keene State College at the Owl Athletic Complex. While Eastern (10-0-1, 3-0-1 LEC) is still looking for its first win on Keene's (6-5-1, 2-1-1 LEC) home field since 1969, the Warriors are now 0-1-3 at Keene in their last four tries and improved their regular-season conference record to 29-5-5 under sixth-year head coach Greg DeVito following Saturday's 1-1 double-overtime Little East Conference verdict.
Entering play with a share of the LEC lead, Eastern drops two points behind the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, which upped its LEC slate to 4-0-0 by scoring twice in the five minutes in the second half to nip the University of Massachusetts Boston, 4-3, Saturday at Boston.
In a re-match of last year's LEC playoff title match won by Eastern, 1-0, at home, Keene State ended a three-game losing streak with the draw.
Both goals came within a five-minute span early in the first half. A marked man all game, junior Scott Douglas netted the Owls' goal – his fourth of the year -- at the 30:14 mark.
Senior forward Cory Tobler (Portland) tied the game for ECSU five minutes later with his fifth goal of 2012. Keene junior goalie Malcolm Cheney made the initial stop on a shot by senior forward Matt Furman (Montville). Tobler pounced on the rebound and slipped the ball into the open net for his conference-leading 18th point of the year.
Both team had scoring opportunities in regulation play. Near the end of the first half, Senior Ian Ferguson bodied off Furman long enough to prevent a breakaway and allow Cheney to come up and get the ball.
Early in the second half, Douglas and senior Kyle Leavitt combined on a give-and-go. Douglas' shot went just over the crossbar.
With 11:20 to play in regulation, Douglas ripped off a shot that hit the inside of the post and bounced out.
The Warriors had a golden opportunity to win the game with 2:40 to play in the second overtime, but an unmarked Furman had a shot that went just wide of the net. Furman, Tobler and junior forward Mitch Power (Douglas, MA) all had five of Eastern's 20 shots and the Warriors also finished with a 10-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Senior Jordan Munsell (Waterford) needed only saves on two of Keene's 13 shots.
Eastern Conn. , ranked fourth in New England, hosts Wesleyan Wednesday at 4 p.m. The Cardinals are rated No. 6 in the region.
