The Binghamton men’s soccer team was defeated 3-0 by No.1 ranked and reigning national champions Syracuse in Syracuse, New York on Monday evening. Despite keeping the game competitive throughout, holding Syracuse to only one goal in the entirety of the first half, the Bearcats ultimately fell short, ending the match shut out and dropping their second match of the year.

“I thought we were great,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “We competed very well. The guys executed the game plan very, very well. In the run of play we were very good … we were patient defending, we were deliberate in tackles, [and] we were highly competitive.”

The Orange (2-0-0) put the pressure on the Binghamton (0-2-0) defense right from the jump, getting off the first five shots of the match, 25 minutes in, with three on the goal. However, graduate student goalkeeper Dylan McDermott was able to make three saves to keep Syracuse off the board. The game stayed scoreless until the 27th minute, when McDermott was forced out of the goal to chase a loose ball and Syracuse took advantage, sending one straight to the back of the net to take a 1-0 lead over the Bearcats.

“In the first half, I thought we were very good,” Marco said. “The goal we conceded [in the first half] was a very soft goal. It’s an error.”

Going into the second half, Syracuse got off eleven shots while Binghamton was kept at bay with zero shots. Despite this, the Bearcats hung in there, making an effort to match Syracuse’s physicality and aggressiveness, only facing a one-goal deficit heading into the half.

“The game plan was to sit in the low block [and] absorb them,” Marco said. “[McDermott] didn’t have to make a lot of great saves. I mean, [Syracuse is] the number one team in the nation, we’re not gonna have the ball much. We wanted to get the guys comfortable with the opponent having the ball and then us trying to counter them and find pockets of space in front of their backs.”

The second half remained back and forth as Syracuse continued to put pressure on the BU defense, peppering the Bearcats’ goal with multiple shots. Then, in the 55th minute, coming off a corner kick, Syracuse managed to keep possession of the ball and found the back of the net off of a header that was kept just out of reach from McDermott, as the Orange increased its lead to 2-0.

“We want to play these teams,” Marco said. “We want to play this type of competition and the way that they approach the game and see how we measure against them. It’s a great experience for our guys, for our program to come here and play. It’s just disappointing that we leaked two set-piece goals and an error.”

With all the momentum, in the 75th minute, Syracuse scored its third goal of the game, extending its lead to 3-0. Not long after, senior back Joe Spires eventually got a shot off for Binghamton in the 84th minute but sent it wide left. When things were all said and done, Syracuse earned a 3-0 victory, while the Bearcats found themselves on the losing end of things.

“We’re getting guys healthy and fit again,” Marco said. “That will help us tremendously in a few weeks. I think that the guys are starting to really come together. They can take coaching, and we’re growing a lot. It’s good to be a part of.”

Binghamton will look for its first win on the road against Colgate. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 1. at Beyer Small ‘76 Field in Hamilton, New York.