In the end, one second was all Delaware needed. One second to stand the Binghamton men’s lacrosse team on its head and keep the team winless at home.
Never having led in the game and having been down by as many as four goals in the third quarter, the Bearcats (2-3) battled their visitors to a 9-9 tie to the last second of the fourth. But at 0:00, Delaware junior midfielder Brian Kormondy hit a one-timer goal, granting the Blue Hens a 10-9 lead to keep Binghamton winless at the Bearcats Sports Complex.
The Bearcats let things slip early as Delaware (5-2) built a 3-0 lead halfway through the first quarter. Before the frame ended, both junior attack Tucker Nelson and the team’s leading scorer, senior attack Matt Springer, put Binghamton on the board to make the score 5-2.
The Bearcats’ quiet start wasn’t a tone-setter: The rest of the matchup was tight to the final whistle. The two teams split the 10 face-offs of the first half, and each team recorded 11 shots on goal and six turnovers by the end of the first quarter. Though the late moments of the game were defined by physicality on both ends, the Bearcats started to seize more chances to keep up with a strong and speedy Delaware team.
“We did a great job of taking opportunities, especially during the last quarter and a half,” BU head coach Scott Nelson said. “I told them [at halftime] that we’re just as good, if not better than these guys. [Delaware is] nothing magical. They hung tough, and they’re a great group of guys. ”
After a lone second-quarter goal, which marked senior midfielder Michael Antinozzi’s 100th career point, the Bearcats found enough of a groove to put them on a 6-3 streak heading into the game’s final three minutes. The spurt concluded with Antinozzi’s equalizer at 3:18, knotting the game at nine.
Three scoreless minutes later, it looked like Binghamton would force overtime. But after a late BU time-out with just seconds remaining, the Blue Hens took full advantage of their final possession. Kormondy’s second shot of the game was also the last, as time expired and Delaware was up, 10-9.
“We have to learn and move on,” Nelson said. “[Lacrosse] is a sport with a lot of one-goal games.”
Next up for Binghamton is yet another home contest, now against Colgate. When the two teams met last year, the Raiders (5-1) outshot their visitors, 42-20, in a 12-5 win.
Play is set for 3 p.m. Saturday at the Bearcats Sports Complex.