Taking a break from its America East slate in the middle of its conference stretch, the Binghamton men’s soccer team fell, 1-0, to Ivy League member Columbia on Wednesday night at the Bearcats Sports Complex.
Binghamton (4-10, 2-1 AE) outshot Columbia (5-5-1, 1-1-1 IL), 10-9, through the game, but the Bearcats’ inability to capitalize on their shots continued to make itself evident, as the Bearcats were again unable to find the back of the net.
“We are playing really good soccer but we just can’t score a goal,” BU head coach Paul Marco said. “We are doing everything but scoring goals.”
The lone goal of the match came in the 35th minute. Columbia freshman forward Jack Blattman connected on a pass from classmate Zach Morant and fired a shot into the right side of the net, beating Binghamton sophomore goalkeeper Robert Moewes for the score.
“I just wish we could’ve scored a few more goals,” Marco said. “However I think we are in a great place going forward.”
The midweek non-conference game gave both coaches the chance to alter their lineups and give their starters some rest, as well as to give less experienced players some seasoning.
The Bearcats only started two of their regulars against the Lions, although each starter saw some action.
“I was monitoring how many minutes guys were playing more than who started the game,” Marco said. “I think the unit that started the game performed very well.”
In addition to lineup changes, the Bearcats made some tactical adaptations in the game to get a final look at how certain parts of their offense functioned.
“Even in some of the conference matches, I’ve tried to try some new things,” Marco said. “Most of the time, it is tactics to try and score more goals. I’ve put some new set pieces in to prepare for some of our opponents.”
The Bearcats’ remaining conference schedule is filled with challenges. Binghamton is scheduled to hit the road in three of its final four games, including this Saturday when the team travels to Massachusetts to take on UMass Lowell. Binghamton currently sits in fourth place in America East standings while the River Hawks (6-8-1, 2-1-1 AE) stand one place ahead, in third.
“This weekend presents us with a very good challenge,” Marco said. “From watching UMass Lowell’s last few games, they are a very good team. They may be one of the better teams we play all year.”
UMass Lowell currently rides a two-game winning streak, through which they have scored five goals. Most recently, the River Hawks defeated NJIT by a score of 3-1 last Wednesday.
Kick off is set for 3 p.m. Saturday at the Cushing Field Complex in Lowell, Mass.