Binghamton men’s soccer was held to just two shots in its loss to UMass Lowell, 2-0. BU (5-7-3, 1-2-2 America East) is approaching the end of conference play, making this 2-0 shutout a devastating blow to its confidence, as it has yet to play Vermont and Albany, who sit at second and third place, respectively.
“I am very disappointed in how we started the match,” said BU head coach Paul Marco. “Right from the first whistle we sat back in, we let them have time on the ball; to play that way at home is unacceptable.”
Binghamton struggled offensively and UML (7-5-1, 3-2 AE) took advantage early by making the BU defense work hard. The River Hawks booted 13 shots by the end of regulation. Their first shot to find the back of the net came in the 32nd minute of play.
“They’re a very good team, and when you give a very good team time and space on the ball, they become even better,” Marco said. “That was not in the game plan. Once the ball was kicked off, we played scared; we were afraid and made the game much more difficult than it had to be.”
UMass Lowell sophomore midfielder Roko Prsa netted his first goal of the season off a cross from sophomore midfielder Dario Jovanovski. Binghamton redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Chris Shutler came out of the goal to try and make a sliding stop on the ball, but Prsa quickly fired a shot right past the BU keeper.
Before the clock could reach the 34th minute, the River Hawks struck again. Redshirt senior midfielder Guilherme Rodrigues showcased a SportsCenter top-10 caliber goal off another assist from Jovanovski. The experienced midfielder was outside the box to the left when he nailed a ball to the top left corner that caught both Shutler and the Bearcats’ defense off guard.
“I have to give some credit to [UMass Lowell],” Marco said. “They were very quick on the ball — we gave them too much room, space and time. We’re still in the fight. We still need to win games.”
UML would retain momentum for the remainder of the game, not allowing BU even one legitimate scoring opportunity. The Bearcats’ frustration and fatigue were visible, as a Lowell defender blocked their only shot on goal of the second half.
“I think that right now we can take something away from this game, that we can play in a different shape, as we did in the second half, and we still need to create opportunities behind their backs,” Marco said.
Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Alejandro Cubillo shined in the second half, a period that saw seven shots on goal for UML. Cubillo saved four of the seven shots, one of which came on a breakaway play from UML senior forward Richard Mulo late in the game.
Cubillo, who is coming off a notable season in which he recorded six solo shutouts, has continued to be a consistent force in the net for Binghamton while the offense has stagnated at points.
“Hofstra is a very good team,” Marco said. “The attitude has to improve, our usefulness with the ball has to improve and then we need guys up front who will do whatever they can to get a goal — I didn’t feel any hunger from any of our players today.”
Contrary to Marco’s comments, the BU back line also turned in an impressive performance in the second half. A young and effective defender such as redshirt freshman back Kurt Wesch will look to an experienced defenseman like junior back Kevin Flesch for leadership and direction in the upcoming intense conference play.
Moving forward, the Bearcats will have a tough test against Hofstra. The Pride finished second in the Colonial Athletic Association this regular season, which gives BU a good warmup for Vermont and Albany. Kickoff is scheduled for Wednesday night at 7 p.m. from the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.