The road to the America East championship is not a one-way highway to Vestal. If it were, the Binghamton women’s soccer team would be in great shape.

The Bearcats have lost just once all season at home, and if the conference tournament were held in the Parlor City, the Bearcats would instantly become contenders for the AE title.

No, all roads unfortunately do not lead to Vestal. The road is a winding one, one that for the Bearcats has already featured failed stops in Vermont and Stony Brook. But last night the road took a stop in Catonsville, Maryland, and the Binghamton women’s soccer team showed that it is a legitimate team, a team capable of going out on the road and dominating.

With its home winning streak no longer in existence, the Bearcats (6-7-2, 3-3 AE) branched out and became road warriors, stepping up and winning what was as close to a must-win game as they have had this season in convincing fashion, shutting out University of Maryland, Baltimore County (4-9-1, 0-5 AE) 3-0.

“We played with a commitment today and I’m pleased with the result,” said head coach Jeff Leightman in a press release after the game. “Getting three points on the road in convincing fashion is good in this league.”

BU played with an energy not seen earlier in the season. The Bearcats did not register a shot on goal until 10 minutes into the first half, but that shot by junior forward Kim Povill and subsequent save by UMBC goalie Robin Babaris would start an avalanche of Bearcat shots. Binghamton finished the game with 20 shots on goal, by far the highest total of the year, and twice as many as they have been averaging. Povill herself took six shots, despite registering no goals.

It took nine of those shots before one finally found its way into the net. With just two minutes to go in the first half, after a BU penalty kick hit the crossbar, Babaris was forced to come out of the net, and Bearcat senior midfielder Kelly Burnham drilled the ball into the lower far corner.

The momentum from Burnham’s goal continued early into the second half. Freshman Amanda Casares drilled a feed from Kim Povill from 15 yards out, which then hit off Babaris’ hands and went into the net, giving the Bearcats a 2-0 lead on their first scoring charge of the half. The goal was the first of Casares’ college career.

Sophomore midfielder Kelly Haslinger completed the scoring for Binghamton when she hit a shot from 18 yards out with 15 minutes to go in regulation.

The Bearcats will now look to continue their winning ways when they host Maine this Sunday at West Gym Field. Every game is must-win at this time of the year for Binghamton, and Sunday’s is no different. Maine is coming off a 2-0 victory over Albany on Thursday and is currently tied with the Bearcats and New Hampshire for third place in the AE.

“Hopefully we can come out on Sunday and play better and lock up a playoff spot,” Leightman said.

Women’s Soccer Notes: BU hadn’t won a game away from West Gym Field since last October … Only three times this season had the Bearcats scored more than one goal, and never in conference play … The shutout was senior goalie Kristie Bowers’s fifth shutout of the year … Burnham is now tied for the team lead in goals with junior forward Tricia Reed at four.