KEENE, N.H. – The Plymouth State University men's soccer team dropped a hard-fought 1-0 decision to Keene State College Owls in a pivotal Little East Conference (LEC) thriller at Butcher Field on Wednesday night.
With the LEC Tournament approaching, the long-time rivals entered the match tied for the sixth and final playoff position. Junior goalkeeper
Kole Matta (Castleton, Vt.) put forth a strong performance for the Panthers, making five saves to keep the game scoreless until the closing minutes.
Plymouth State falls to 4-10-1 (1-4-1 LEC), while the Owls move to 8-5-2 (2-3-1 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 0, Keene State 1
- Plymouth State (4-10-1, 1-4-1 LEC)
- Keene State (8-5-2, 2-3-1 LEC)
How it Happened:
- The Panthers nearly broke through in the fourth minute, but the Keene State goalkeeper turned aside the early chance.
- Keene State settled in defensively, allowing only one more shot on goal in the opening half as the teams went into the break deadlocked a 0-0.
- The teams jostled for position in a back-and-forth opening to the second half. As the clock wound down, the match carried the unmistakable feeling that one goal would decide it.
- Matta made a critical save with six minutes remaining, stopping a dangerous strike from the top of the box and quickly covering the rebound to deny any follow-up attempts.
- The Owls capitalized moments later, netting the game-winner from the top of the box in the 87th minute.
By the Numbers:
- Keene State held a slight 12-11 edge in total shots, while shots on goal were even at 6-6.
- The Owls earned seven corner kicks to Plymouth State's four.
- Plymouth State defeated Keene State, 3-0, in last year's LEC Tournament to eliminate the Owls.
- Keene State leads the series, 22-17-1, dating back to 1986.
- Plymouth State will need at least four points from its final two games to remain in postseason contention.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State hosts UMass Boston on Saturday (Oct. 25) at 1 p.m.
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