After being on the wrong side of three one-goal matches against ranked opponents this season, the Binghamton University men’s soccer team didn’t let another opportunity slip away, finally overcoming a nationally ranked team to notch its biggest win in two years.
The Bearcats (1-4-1) emerged with a 1-0 victory when they took on No. 26 Lafayette College, the highest-ranked opponent that Binghamton has defeated since Sept. 14, 2008, when it beat No. 21 Wisconsin. The team then battled Colgate University to double overtime, but couldn’t overcome the Red Raiders as the teams finished tied at one to wrap up the Colgate Red Raider Adidas Classic.
The Bearcats got their first win of a daunting opening schedule that included opening the year with five straight matches against ranked opponents, the fifth being No. 26 Lafayette. Binghamton head coach Paul Marco was pleased with the win itself; the fact that it came against a ranked opponent didn’t seem to surprise him.
‘I don’t know if we put much into [an opponent being] ranked or not ranked,’ he said. ‘We try to win every match. Obviously once you win a game, feelings are great. I thought we had been playing very well in the first four matches and that it was only going to be a matter of time before the outcome and the process were the same.’
The Bearcats had lost by just one goal to No. 23 University of North Carolina Wilmington, No. 7 Ohio State and No. 11 Penn State before finally securing their first win of the season.
Binghamton out-shot Lafayette 12-6 in the contest and held a strong advantage in corner kicks, with eight corners to Lafayette’s one. The winning goal was scored by senior back Kyle Manscuk just over a minute into the match off a corner kick from sophomore forward Adam Whitehead, giving Whitehead his third assist in two games.
‘There are critical moments [in a match] and we were fortunate enough that what we had planned the guys executed. It worked brilliantly,’ Marco said of the goal.
That was all the offense that the Bearcats would need, as redshirt freshman Chris Hayen recorded his first collegiate shutout to seal the win, making three saves on the day.
Coming off the big win, the Bearcats took on Colgate just two days later, but neither team could score the go-ahead goal in the overtime periods. Binghamton once again held the edge in shots (22-16) and corners (8-5), but held no edge in the final score, a 1-1 tie.
‘I think both teams had some good opportunities to put more balls in the back of each other’s net,’ Marco said. ‘Our defense was very good on the day.’
The Bearcats’ lone goal was once again scored by Manscuk, this time scissor-kicking a feed from junior midfielder Ryan Walter at the 66:32 mark of the second half to tie the match. The assist was Walter’s first of the season, while Manscuk has now scored three times already this year.
Marco also noted the difference in field condition at Colgate, as it was not exactly what the Bearcats are used to playing on. According to Marco, the grass field was ‘tiny’ compared to their home field, was ‘chewed up’ from the games played immediately before and there was light rain falling, which may have contributed not only to the Bearcats’ tie, but also two other games in the tournament ending in ties, as well.
‘That’s what happens with grass fields,’ Marco explained. ‘Was it unplayable? No. It was just a bumpy surface that was a little bit slick, and it plays a little bit smaller than our field to begin with, so its time and space will be a little less ‘ you’ll have a little less time on the ball, and tackles will be flying a little more, players will be a little bit closer to you, so it’s easier to defend a smaller space than it is a big space.’
The Bearcats and Red Raiders battled through a scoreless first half before Colgate opened the scoring in the second half with a goal from Mike Reidy. Less than a minute later, Manscuk scored the equalizer. Out of 110 total minutes of soccer, the game’s only two goals were tallied just 54 seconds apart.
‘Certainly we were trying to go and get the game winner before we got our goal and after we got the goal,’ Marco said.
Binghamton’s efforts allowed it to fire away in the overtime periods, out-shooting Colgate 6-1 in the extra sessions. Two of the six shots were saved and three others were blocked before they had a chance.
The Bearcats are set to return to Binghamton for their first home match of the year against Cornell University on Sunday at 4 p.m.