The Binghamton men’s soccer team concluded its non-conference play with a scoreless draw at St. Bonaventure on Wednesday, extending its losing streak to three. But despite the recent lack of success, the Bearcats (5-4-1) head into America East (AE) conference play with a winning record. BU hasn’t finished above .500 outside of the conference since 2008, its last appearance in the AE championship game.
“I think any time you have a winning record, it’s a really good thing,” BU head coach Paul Marco said. “Now we move onto the second part of our schedule and we have to get ready for Vermont.”
The Bearcats did find the back of the SBU (1-8-1 Atlantic 10) net at the close of the first half on Wednesday, but the goal was disallowed after the officials ruled the clock had expired.
“If you go back and look at the goal that was disallowed, the horn never sounded at the end of the half, nor did the referees blow the whistle,” Marco said. “As far as I’m concerned, the half never ended, and the goal should’ve counted.”
Binghamton ends its non-conference schedule with a 5-4-1 record, a vast improvement from last year when the Bearcats opened 2-8.
Although the game finished in a scoreless tie, Binghamton ended the 110-minute match with a commanding 13-8 shot advantage, including a 6-1 edge in both overtime periods.
“I think sometimes, in a draw, you can play really well and just be unlucky, and that is what happened to us,” Marco said. “I think overall we played really well.”
Defensively, junior goalkeeper Robert Moewes recorded his fourth shutout of the season, recording two saves in the match. After giving up six goals in its last two outings, the BU defense returned to its top form.
“The back four was very solid for us all match long,” Marco said. “Robert [Moewes] was steady in goal even though he did not see much action.”
The St. Bonaventure defense was also up to the task of shutting down the Bearcat offense. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Bobby Diaz recorded four saves on the night, including a critical save in the 110th minute that denied Binghamton the victory.
Binghamton added late pressure on the Bonnies by earning two corner kicks in the final period of overtime, but neither was enough to break through the SBU back line. Wednesday night’s match marks just the third shutout against the Bearcats this season and the first of their last five games.
“We played hard the whole game, but unfortunately, we were not able to find a goal,” Marco said.
As Binghamton moves on to AE play, the Bearcats look to build on a solid start to its season and transition seamlessly into its conference slate. The Bearcats finished 3-4 in AE play in 2014, but now — sporting four more non-conference wins than last year’s squad — look to improve. The road back to the AE playoffs for BU begins in Vermont.
“I think the guys, once they got on the bus [following the St. Bonaventure game], were really excited for this Vermont game,” Marco said. “Hopefully we have a good two days of training and go to Vermont with some momentum.”
Binghamton is set to kick off against Vermont at 1 p.m. on Saturday from Virtue Field in Burlington, Vermont.