KEENE, N.H. – Junior forward Promise Kpee converted a penalty kick awarded on a hand ball 17 minutes into the match for the only goal as the Keene State College men's soccer team shut out Eastern Connecticut State University on its home field for the first time in the regular season in 16 years Saturday afternoon at the Owl Athletic Complex.

The loss is the third straight overall and fifth in six road matches this year for Eastern (4-7-1, 2-2-0 LEC), while Keene (7-4-1, 3-1-0 LEC) won for only the second time in its last five matches (2-2-1)  and remained perfect (4-0-0) at home this season.

Until Saturday, Keene had not kept Eastern scoreless on its home field in the regular season since an 8-0 victory in 2000.

In a physical match which included six yellow cards (four on Keene) and 32 fouls (23 on Keene), Eastern outshot the Owls, 14-10 but was unable to avoid its fourth 1-0 loss this year.

Kpee extended his conference-leading goal total to 13 when he beat Eastern sophomore keeper Ryan Murphy (Cromwell) with a perfectly-placed drive into the lower left corner of the net with 16:30 gone that stood up the rest of the way.

Three minutes after Kpee put Keene ahead, one of Eastern's best opportunities materialized, when a corner kick from freshman scoring leader Griffin Luczek (Lee, NH) found the head of senior back Emmanuel Caicedo (Manchester), but the chance went wide. 

Pressing forward for the equalizer late in the match, the Warriors nearly pulled even in the 76th minute, as a corner kick from senior midfielder Danny Manfredi (Unionville) found the head of sophomore forward Justin Grant (Cromwell), placing the ball dangerously in the box. Caicedo gained possession, but his bicycle kick sailed high.

Eastern hosts 2015 Little East playoff champion UMass Boston Saturday at  1 p.m. The Beacons are ranked first in New England and sixth nationally.