The Binghamton University men’s lacrosse team is faced with a seemingly simple scenario: Win and get in.
The America East tournament field came into focus on Saturday after Binghamton’s 14-9 loss to conference foe Stony Brook. The top four teams out of the six in the conference make the tournament and get a chance to play in the NCAA championship. With Saturday’s win, Stony Brook joined UMBC and Albany in the tournament, as all three teams now have 3-1 conference records. Binghamton, Vermont and Hartford all have 1-3 records and only one last playoff spot remains.
The Bearcats will square off against Hartford this Saturday to wrap up the regular season. Since the Bearcats defeated Vermont earlier this season, a win against Hartford will clinch a tournament berth regardless of whether Vermont defeats UMBC. This time last week, Hartford had lost 26 consecutive games and hadn’t won a conference game since 2007. No worries about the Bearcats’ next game then, right?
Wrong.
The Hawks won their first game of the season against Presbyterian on Monday before pulling off a monumental 10-8 upset over No. 6 UMBC on Saturday that sent shock waves through the lacrosse world. Before the two wins, Hartford was 0-10 on the season, but seven of those games had been decided by two goals or fewer. A loss on the Hawks’ senior day would have eliminated them from playoff contention. Instead, Hartford is still very much alive.
Binghamton, Vermont and Hartford all have a chance to get in. For the Bearcats, a victory against Hartford will suffice. If Hartford defeats Binghamton and Vermont beats UMBC, Vermont will clinch the spot. If Hartford defeats Binghamton and Vermont loses to UMBC, Hartford will make the tournament.
But Bearcats head coach Ed Stephenson sees the postseason already underway.
“The America East playoffs have started already,” Stephenson said. “We’re one of three teams trying to get in. If we win, we’re in. We control our destiny. We’re playing the playoffs right now.”
The Bearcats have made the America East tournament in each of the past five seasons under Stephenson, who has been the head coach since the program’s birth in 2002.
A win against Stony Brook would have greatly helped the Bearcats’ playoff positioning, but another slow start doomed them, as they fell behind 10-2 midway through the third period. The Bearcats made a fierce comeback, outscoring Stony Brook 7-4 for the remainder of the game, but they could not close the gap.
“This is a recurring theme,” Stephenson said of the sluggish start. “In the second half, we got to a point where the guys really buckled down. But on the road, we’ve struggled to get our bearings early in the game.”
Sophomore attack Frank Donlon had a career game, notching a hat trick in the contest. It was a homecoming for Donlon, who hails from Mt. Sinai, N.Y.
“It was a home crowd for him,” Stephenson said. “Usually guys tend to play really well in front of friends and family, and Frank was no exception.”
Senior attack Chris Mulheron tied a career high with four assists. Senior attack Jake Boyce scored two goals in the game. Junior midfielder Steve Carlson notched a goal and an assist. Junior attack Andy Cook, sophomore attack Brian Donahue and senior midfielder Kevin Joy scored a goal apiece.
However, offense did not seem to be the biggest problem for the Bearcats on Saturday. The Bearcats out-shot Stony Brook, 31-30, and also committed one fewer turnover. Ground balls were a problem again for Binghamton, edged in that category by a 44-24 margin. The Bearcats only won nine out of 25 faceoffs.
“We haven’t done the things we needed to do well to give ourselves offensive opportunities,” Stephenson said. “We gave them too many second and third chance opportunities in the offensive end, and when we fail to secure the ball, they’re eventually going to score. That’s been something we’ve really tried to work on.”
Because the Bearcats fell to Stony Brook, the entire season comes down to one final game. It will officially be the final home game of the season for the Bearcats. The team surely knows the implications of the game, and Stephenson has given voice to the challenge that stands between the Bearcats and an America East tournament bid and perhaps an NCAA tournament berth.
Hartford will visit the Bearcats Sports Complex this Saturday, and faceoff will be at 7 p.m.