Redshirt senior forward Logan Roberts and freshman midfielder Matty Flax each tallied a goal in the Binghamton men’s soccer team’s comeback win against Hofstra. The Bearcats (7-4-5, 1-2-2 America East) notched two goals in the second half to overcome a one-goal deficit on Tuesday night.
The Bearcats entered the game having lost their last two contests. Despite dropping home games to conference opponents Vermont and New Hampshire, the Bearcats kept their heads high going into their matchup on Long Island. The Pride (8-7-1, 6-1-0 Colonial Athletic) is ranked No. 25 nationally, but the quality opposition was not foreign to Binghamton, which has competed in a particularly competitive AE this season.
“It was an outstanding performance, especially the second half performance,” said BU head coach Paul Marco. “We gave them some problems on counterattacks and we gave them some problems on set pieces.”
Hofstra junior midfielder Danny Elliott opened scoring with his strike in the 32nd minute, giving the Pride the lead going into halftime. With a 7-2 shot advantage, Hofstra was in total control.
“I thought our guys responded very well after the goal in the first half,” Marco said. “In the second half we made some adjustments; I thought our guys executed the game plan terrifically.”
Binghamton redshirt freshman goalkeeper Chris Shutler recorded seven saves. Shutler kept the Bearcats in the game when they were down, and ensured they didn’t lose their lead after falling behind early. The game marked Shutler’s first start since his clean sheet against Bucknell last month.
Binghamton got on the board in the 56th minute when Roberts scored his first goal of the season. It was only his second game back after being sidelined for over a month.
The Bearcats scored the decisive goal in the 76th minute when Flax scored for his first collegiate goal off of a rebound from his own shot attempt.
Binghamton was outshot by Hofstra, 15-9, for the game. The Pride also led in shots on goal, tallying eight to the Bearcats’ four.
Marco was impressed by his team’s performance after two tough conference losses. After the Bearcats’ 2-0 defeat against Vermont, Marco was not pleased with their intensity and performance. The next day, they got back on the grind and had a morning training session.
After their win against Hofstra, the Bearcats didn’t have a training session on Wednesday.
“I came in early, but they were off,” Marco said.
BU currently sits in seventh place in the AE standings with five points. The Bearcats are one point behind Vermont and three behind Hartford. With only two conference games left, the Bearcats’ path to the AE playoffs remains uncertain.
“We started the season out with terrific hope, which is still very much alive,” Marco said. “We still have a ton to play for against Stony Brook and Albany.”
Binghamton is scheduled to play Stony Brook on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. from the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.