Despite outshooting host Cornell 10-8, the Binghamton women’s soccer team fell, 2-0, Wednesday night at Charles F. Berman Field. Having wrapped up a stretch of three games in six days, the Bearcats (4-3-1) will now have five days off before their final non-conference match.
Big Red sophomore forward Caroline Growney led Cornell (4-1-1) to its third consecutive win with one goal in each half. Her first came 26 minutes in, when senior midfielder Rachel Nichols played a long cross from 25 yards out from goal. BU senior goalkeeper Carrie Martin charged out for the save, but the ball tipped off her fingers and neared Growney at the end line. From a sharp angle, Growney banked in the shot to the far post.
Cornell added its insurance goal four minutes into the second half, when Growney launched a shot from the middle of the box to the far post.
The shutout was BU’s second of the season, the first coming six days earlier against Temple.
“I think that, honestly, [Wednesday] just was not our best day,” head coach Sarah McClellan said. “We just showed up and we did not put our best effort or performance out there. We did not play the way that we’re capable of playing.”
Despite the Big Red’s deuce, neither team saw many opportunities. Cornell shot a total of just five on goal, exceeding BU only by the two that counted.
“The ball was in the air a lot and so there were very few chances,” McClellan said. “We had some really good ones early in the game and late in the game and Cornell had their two chances in the middle section of the game, and they capitalized on theirs.”
McClellan also said her team cannot rely on a stroke of luck.
“We can’t hope for a good bounce or hope that the ball doesn’t have a good bounce for the other team to get a chance,” McClellan said. “We just need to get out for the game, and I’m confident that the team is going to respond well.”
Sophomore midfielder Katie Corcoran led the Bearcats with four shots, and freshman midfielder Katie O’Neill and sophomore midfielder Rebecca Raber followed up with two each. Martin added the three saves, bringing her to a sum of 27 this season and a .818 save percentage.
The Bearcats hope to use their extended rest period to find their footing again before facing Army.
“We’re going to be able to review everything, we’re going to be able to play confidently in training and really just work hard to be able to use this last non-conference game as an opportunity to improve and to get ourselves prepared and sharp and ready,” McClellan said.
The Black Knights (4-3-1) are scheduled for a matchup on Saturday prior to hosting Binghamton in West Point, N.Y., but are currently riding a two-game winning streak, both of which were shutouts. The Black Knights most recently triumphed over Rhode Island with a 5-0 blowout on Sept. 15. The team logged its highest number of goals since recording six against Albany in 2005.
Army sophomore forward Katie Holder found the net twice in the game, and three teammates made up the difference for the rest. Both Army and URI (4-4) took 10 shots, but only four of URI’s were on goal, and Army freshman keeper Jordan Cassalia snagged them all.
“[Army is] a really good team,” McClellan said. “They’re very fit. They’ve got some nice attacking players and so I’m expecting them to be very good. I’m expecting our team to come out ready to play.”
Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. at Clinton Field.