After 79 minutes of scoreless, high-pressure play, the Binghamton women’s soccer team pulled ahead of Army for a 1-0 win on Monday night in West Point, N.Y. The Bearcats (5-3-1) snapped a three-game winless streak with the victory.
Freshman forward Michele Galvin netted the lone goal at the 79:25 mark, when classmate Allison Mack sent a cross into the box. It was Galvin’s second goal of her rookie season.
“We had quite a few chances leading up to [the goal] and were a little bit unlucky on finishing our moves,” BU head coach Sarah McClellan said. “And then we got across the box and had a ton of numbers crashing in the goal. It was one of those hardworking goals where the whole team wasn’t going to stop until it hit the back of the net.”
Through the first half, both teams were held scoreless despite an abundance of opportunities. Army (5-4-1) attempted 10 shots to Binghamton’s two, yet each team accrued just one shot on goal in that time.
“In the first half Army did a good job keeping the possession and pressuring us, which made it a little bit more difficult for us to connect our passes,” McClellan said. “But we settled down in the second half and started to feel a lot better in our rhythm.”
In the second half, Binghamton’s front line came out strong and put a precise foot on the ball. The Bearcats may not have created opportunities as frequently as their opponents, but when they did, they made them count, putting seven shots on goal compared to the Black Knights’ four. Overall, Army notched 17 shots to Binghamton’s 10, but it wouldn’t save the hosts from having their three-game winning streak snapped.
“Our back line wanted to get a shutout, so we headed into this game wanting a shutout — that was our goal,” McClellan said. “They committed to that and stayed focused. They did a much better job with their communication, and I think that’s what ended up paying off for us.”
BU featured three keepers in goal en route to achieving its fourth shutout. Senior Carrie Martin reaped one save in her 30 minutes of play, and junior Gaby Gold filled the net to collect an additional three. Senior Stephanie Speirs wrapped up the final 19 minutes. Army freshman keeper Jordan Cassalia was kept busy in her 90 minutes, grabbing six of her own.
The matchup marked the first time ever that the two teams have met, and McClellan said she was glad it came up before conference play.
“We knew that this would be a really good game leading up to it,” she said. “We were able to put some good things together that we’re going to build on this week as we get ready for the conference.”
With all its non-conference contests in the bag, BU is set to open America East play on Sept. 29 against New Hampshire, which came up short against Bryant on Sept. 20. Before hosting the Bearcats Sunday, New Hampshire is scheduled to face off against Holy Cross Wednesday.
“New Hampshire is always a very good team,” McClellan said. “It’s been a tight game with them every year that I remember playing them. They’ve got quality players, and they’ll definitely be a very good opener. We’re starting off at the top with New Hampshire. But I think it’ll be good for us to get going right away and see where we’re at right away with the conference.”
Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. Sunday at Bremner Field in Durham, N.H.