Men's Soccer: Melgar Brace Seals Victory in Five-Goal Thriller at Home

9/13/2025 5:16:00 PM | By: Jake Haddad

Box Score
MANSFIELD, Conn. — Eastern Connecticut earns a hard-fought win in a physical first Little East Conference matchup of the year.

Game Information:

Score: Eastern Connecticut State University: 3, Keene State College: 2
Records: Eastern (3-2, 1-0 LEC), Keene State (4-1, 0-1 LEC)
Location: Mansfield, CT (Rick McCarthy Field)

Scoring Summary:

29:23 (1-0) – Sebastian Kadlof picks up the ball deep in Keene's half, driving forward with purpose and easing past 2 defenders before picking out Reid Dowling, who had gotten in front of Elias Stowell-Aleman for his first goal of the season and 2^ndever as a Warrior
47:14 (2-0) – Eastern works from back to front as Noah Page plays a long ball down the right side of the field to find Anton Smith. A missed tackle from a Keene defender gives Smith room to pick out a wide-open Eliot Melgar at the back post, who calmly rolls the ball past Eldin Husanovic
50:50 (2-1) – Jack Corby's corner kick was put into a dangerous area and Cristian Correa was the first to react for the Owls, giving Keene State a lifeline
73:48 (3-1) – Sebastian Kadlof intercepts a weak pass from the Owls and baits multiple Keene defenders into a challenge with a stepover and ball rolls. Melgar notices the left-back being drawn in and finds a pocket of space for Kadlof to pick him out for a one-touch finish past Husanovic
78:24 (3-2) – Keene responds within 5 minutes for the second time of the day as Luke Hartshorn finishes off a good bit of play from the visitors. Martin Lubunga plays a clever ball through Eastern's midfield to put Hartshorn through on goal and bring one back

Game Notes:

Eliot Melgar scored the second brace of his Eastern career, his first since a 3-2 win against Fisher College in 2024
Sebastian Kadlof had 2 assists in a game for the second time this season, with his first coming in the 5-1 win at Mitchell just 12 days ago
Yahya Kardad was giving the Keene State back line issues throughout the entire first half. He hit the crossbar on an effort from 20 yards for Eastern's first real chance, before making explosive runs to create 2 more good opportunities for the Warriors before halftime. In the second half, he departed with a lower body injury and did not return
Eastern Connecticut dominated the corner kick tally in the first half 5-1, with Keene State creating opportunities in the second half to make it 9-6
Each team had 1 yellow card in a game with 19 fouls, showcasing the physicality from both sides
There were 35 total shots and 12 on goal, Keene created more opportunities in the second half but were only able to keep 4 shots on target throughout the 90 minutes

Up Next:
The Warriors host VTSU Castleton at 1 p.m. next Saturday in an LEC match at Rick McCarthy Field.

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