It is the mark of a true competitor when matching a past milestone is no longer enough. A real competitor is always striving to shatter past accomplishments.
The Binghamton University women’s soccer team is achieving more accomplishments with every passing game. The Bearcats (3-1) matched their win total for the 2007 season last weekend when they defeated Holy Cross 2-0. However, the team is not quite ready to pop open the champagne and celebrate just yet.
“We’re not completely happy yet,” said head coach Sarah McClellan. “We just hope to get better every week and go from there.”
On the field this season, no one player can be termed “dominant.” The team is just that — a team. There are crisp passes, hard shots and there is stifling defense. Junior goalkeeper Jen McEachron has been stellar in the net, allowing only two goals this season and ranking in the top three in the America East Conference in shutouts (two), goals against average (0.49) and save percentage (.889)
“It is a real team effort,” McClellan said. “Everyone is contributing as much as they can on the field.”
The Bearcats look to put together another strong team effort against Iona College tonight at the Bearcats Sports Complex. The Gaels (0-5) are a much better team than their record indicates. In those five games, playing against teams with a combined record of 11-5-3, the team kept it close with tight defense and good goaltending. Goaltender Suzanne Baldissard has 31 saves for the season, including 10 in a 2-0 loss against Columbia University this past Tuesday.
Iona still has yet to score a point this season, but that does not mean that they have been without chances. The team consistently puts the ball on net, but due to good goalkeeping by opposing netminders, they have been denied a goal. Forwards Mariel Pepe and Stephanie Sommers provide the offensive sparks for the Gaels.
Pepe, a junior, started all 20 games last season and was third on the team with nine points. Sommers, a senior who missed the 2007 campaign with an injury, led the team in shots in 2006 with 36 and totaled four points.
“Iona has kept close games against tough opponents,” McClellan said. “We’re not taking them lightly; we will need to play very hard to beat them.”
While the game is not officially the first home game of the season, as the Bearcats defeated the University of Massachusetts 2-1 in overtime on Aug. 24, this is the first opportunity for many BU students to see this talented group of players show what they can do. Undergraduate students will receive free admission to the game with a valid Binghamton University ID. Kickoff is set for tonight at 7 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex.