Lafayette broke a 1-1 tie in the 102nd minute to beat the Binghamton men’s soccer team on Saturday in Easton, Pa.
Following a missed shot by Lafayette junior midfielder Tom McCutcheon, Lafayette senior midfielder Alec Golini put the game-winner past BU sophomore goalkeeper Stefano Frantellizzi.
Lafayette (2-0-5) outshot Binghamton (2-4-1), 3-0, in overtime.
“It’s disappointing that we put so much energy into the match,” Marco said. “I felt like we should have come away with more than what we did.”
With junior back Matt McCoy recording his second assist of the season, Binghamton drew first blood in the 17th minute. Senior forward Marts Reid-Warden connected from eight yards out off McCoy’s cross. The goal, the first against Lafayette in nearly 300 minutes, was Reid-Warden’s first of the season and second of his collegiate career.
BU head coach Paul Marco said he was pleased with the team’s approach early in the game.
“I thought in the first half we were on top of the game,” Marco said. “We scored a goal to go up 1-nil, and at halftime we had done enough in the game to be ahead and we were playing pretty well defensively.”
However, in the game’s 73rd minute, Binghamton fouled Lafayette (2-0-5) just inside the box. Senior forward Peter Adubato converted the penalty kick to tie the game and eventually force overtime.
“I felt then the game would end 1-1,” Marco said. “Neither team really [looked] like they were getting after the game to win it.”
But the Leopards proved Marco’s gut feeling wrong, as Golini found the back of the net in the 12th minute of extra play.
Lafayette held a 13-4 shot advantage on the game, but Marco said the statistics exaggerated the actual threat to Binghamton’s goal area. Marco’s defense, which had a 372-minute scoreless streak snapped on Wednesday by Cornell, has been solid all season.
Frantellizzi has led the Bearcats in goal, with 38 saves and a .826 save percentage, but Marco praised the leadership of senior back Robbie Hughes as the catalyst for the team’s staunch defensive effort.
“He’s just a winner, he’s a competitor and he wants to win every moment,” Marco said. “I think his will has helped encourage, enhance and inspire others to compete at the level that he is competing at.”
Binghamton is set to return to action tonight against St. Peter’s. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex.