The Binghamton University men’s soccer team is not just building a dynasty. It’s making history.

The Bearcats won both of their games at the Pittsburgh Invitational this weekend, giving them the tournament title and, for the first time since 1987, a 4-0 start. BU defeated Robert Morris, 1-0, on Friday and host Pittsburgh, 1-0, on Sunday.

‘Each year you’re looking to do things better,’ BU coach Paul Marco said. ‘Not necessarily different, but better than you did the previous year. On some of our guys’ shirts, there’s a big ‘BETTER,’ with ‘212 degrees’ on the front and ‘The Bearcat Way’ on the back ‘ 212 degrees is boiling, and if you’re at 211, you’re not boiling, so that one little extra degree makes the biggest difference.’

The Bearcats have yet to allow a goal in their first four games ‘ another feat last accomplished in 1987. Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Jason Stenta, who took over as the full-time goalkeeper in the middle of last season, recorded his 11th and 12th career shutouts.

‘To me, it’s a great thing since we haven’t started like this since 1987, but we can do better than 4-0,’ Stenta said. ‘Hopefully you guys will have to keep checking the record books.’

Stenta’s job was made easier by the Bearcats’ back line of Adam Chavez, Liam Carson, Kyle Kucharski and Mark Wood, who held Robert Morris to four shots and Pittsburgh to three.

‘Against Robert Morris (Stenta) didn’t really have to do anything,’ Marco said. ‘This weekend he didn’t really have to do much.’

Offensively, Binghamton had just four shots against Pittsburgh (0-3-1) in a rainy game, one of which was junior back Darren ‘Daz’ McAllister’s first goal of the season in the 13th minute. Justin Leskow recorded his team-high second assist on the goal. This is McAllister’s first season with the Bearcats after transferring from Virginia Intermont College.

‘We’re just finding a way to get one in,’ Leskow said. ‘Hopefully we’ll get more than one in pretty soon.’

The Bearcats outshot Robert Morris 11-0 in the first half, but could not score until their second-to-last shot of the game, their 18th, taken by junior back Ryan Tomko. Cody Germain beat a defender at midfield and passed to Tomko, who took it off his chest on the left side and put the ball into the left corner of the net from 12 yards out. Tomko’s first career goal gave Robert Morris (3-1-0) its first loss of the season.

Part of the Bearcats’ success is due to the roles players like Tomko, McAllister, Leskow, Germain and Yusuf Yusuf have played, filling in the voids left by last season’s seniors, such as Joey Neilson and Ibrahim Yusuf (Yusuf Yusuf’s brother). And part of it because no one can score on them.

‘We have great communication throughout the whole back line,’ Stenta said. ‘Plus it goes into the midfielders, who cover a lot of ground. And the front is holding the ball well, which gives the back a rest. We’re all just playing like a collective group.’

Notes: Carson, Chavez, Stenta and J.P. Ahoua were named to the All-Tournament team ‘ Chavez was named the America East Co-Player of the Week, sharing the award with Steve King of UMBC ‘ By winning the Pittsburgh Invitational and the Radford Highlander Classic last weekend, the Bearcats have back-to-back in-season tournament wins for the first time since 2004 ‘ The Bearcats received votes in the College Soccer News Top 30 National Poll for a second consecutive week ‘ This is the first season in team history that its first four games have been decided by the same score (1-0).