KEENE, N.H. – Fourteen-time Little East Conference playoff champion Keene State College put two years of frustration behind it against Eastern Connecticut State University with a 3-1 victory Saturday afternoon at the Owl Athletic Complex.
 
After winning 23 of the first 25 matches against Eastern (2-3, 0-2 LEC) in the all-time series, Keene (2-2, 1-0 LEC) was beaten by the Warriors the last three times (twice in overtime) the teams had met, including 1-0 decision in last year's LEC final at Keene, NH.
 
Saturday, Eastern first-year forward Emma Sanson (Thomaston) scored her third goal of the season 11 minutes into play before Keene countered with the tying goal less than four minutes later, and the Owls added go-ahead and insurance goals in the second half.
 
Keene clung to a 2-1 lead in the late stages of the match until sophomore Molly Murray scored her second goal of the season with 1:19 left to seal the win. Freshman Kalina Piasecki assisted on Irini Stefanakos' tying goal with 29 seconds left in the first quarter, then scored the first of her career three minutes into the second half for what proved to be the winning goal.
 
Senior goalie Sarah Gallagher (South Windsor) stopped seven shots for Eastern while freshman Clara Gorman saved four for Keene.
 
Eastern was coming off a 5-0 win at Springfield College while Keene was shut out, 6-0 at No. 12 Amherst College. Keene had opened its season with a 2-1 home loss to Springfield.
 
Eastern hosts Roger Williams University in a non-conference match Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.