Despite leading Duquesne through most of Friday evening’s game, the Binghamton men’s soccer team couldn’t recover from a 78th minute goal and fell, 3-2, to its host. The loss highlighted the Bearcats’ weekend participating in the Duquesne Invitational, overshadowing their 2-0 shutout of Niagara the following afternoon.
The somewhat paradoxical triumph is due to the discrepancy of the level of play between the two games. While the Bearcats (2-2) responded to a number of challenges against Duquesne (3-0-1), they simply weren’t able to move the ball around as well against Niagara (1-3).
Binghamton came out strong against the Dukes. Within the first four minutes of the game, sophomore forward Alex Varkatzas converted a cross from senior line-mate Steve Celeste. Duquesne answered within two minutes, but the Bearcats jumped ahead again just before the end of the half when graduate-student midfielder Tommy Moon finished a cross from junior forward Luca Bottoni, bringing the score to 2-1.
The Dukes requited in the 52nd minute when Norwegian freshman forward Fredrik Borenstein, the Invitational’s MVP, scored off a rebounded corner kick. In the 78th minute, the Dukes gained their first lead as French sophomore defender Mamadou Traore netted the go-ahead on a scrum before the goal. Each of Duquesne’s goals came off the foot of a first-year student on the school’s largely European roster.
“I thought we played terrific against Duquesne,” BU head coach Paul Marco said. “They were a very good team, they presented us with some challenges that you normally don’t see in a soccer match. They had a 6’7” striker who is just a giant. Very athletic. And I thought our two center backs did a great job on him.”
Marco referred to Kadeem Pantophlet, a junior forward from the Nethlerlands who has scored one goal and doled out three assists so far this season.
Though outshot, 19-5, through the contest, BU’s sophomore goalkeeper Robert Moewes grabbed five saves to prevent a larger margin of defeat. Those three goals he and the back line couldn’t impede were the result of fouls and stoppage, from play that begins with a throw-in or a corner kick, which gives the offense an innate advantage.
“I think one of the things we’ve struggled with is set-piece defending,” Marco explained. “We conceded three goals in that game and all three were off the set piece.”
Marco additionally identified the team’s many fouls as a problem area — the Dukes held 14-2 advantage on corner kicks.
“That was a big part of the game,” Marco said. “We gave them a lot of opportunities to have free kicks at the goal.”
Binghamton went on to play Niagara the following day. The teams carried a scoreless tie into the half, at which point senior midfielder Matt McCoy and Varkatzas broke through the Purple Eagles’ defense. McCoy’s goal came off a free kick from 30 yards out in the 50th minute and Varkatzas’ 80th minute goal finished a cross from sophomore midfielder Charlie Novoth.
The team was outshot, 15-11, but junior goalkeeper Stefano Frantellizzi and Moewes combined for six saves to preserve the shutout.
For their efforts in the invitational, both Varkatzas and senior defender Jamie Forbes were named to the All-Duquesne Invitational team.
Varkatzas, as well as McCoy, Bottoni and Novoth, have all emerged as crucial pieces of this team’s offense. Each has recorded at least one goal, with Bottoni and Novoth also tallying assists. Moon and Celeste, the preseason’s favorites in terms of likely offensive output, have not been silent, either — each has created his fair share of opportunities.
“When the season started we weren’t sure how many different guys were going to be scoring goals,” Marco said. “We had opportunities from a lot of guys to play and I think most of them have taken their minutes quite well. I think that the competitiveness in the team is very good — it’s very high. We’re probably two or three players deep in certain positions, so I think it’s been fantastic.”
Next up for the Bearcats is a home contest against Army. Play is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Bearcats Sports Complex.