Facing a pair of teams against whom it holds a combined 14 percent winning percentage in the last five years, the Binghamton women’s soccer team repeated history last weekend. The Bearcats (4-6), who had previously won four of their last five games, had their hot streak snapped at St. Bonaventure on Friday and fell to Cornell on Sunday.
Binghamton fell behind early against the Bonnies (4-5-1) following an unassisted goal by senior midfielder Brittany Charles in the third minute. The hosts found the back of their net again in the 10th and 26th minutes, jumping up to a 3-0 lead before sophomore midfielder Katie O’Neill cut Binghamton’s deficit to two. Despite the small resurgence, St. Bonaventure’s dominant first 30 minutes proved to be too much for the Bearcats and they dropped Friday’s match by a final score of 3-1.
Even though they lost, the Bearcats again showed their prowess in creating opportunities on offense, holding an advantage in shots, 18-7, as well as in corner kicks, 10-2.
Hoping for a different result at home, Binghamton returned to the Bearcats Sports Complex on Sunday to face a red-hot Big Red squad (5-1). Showing signs of hope throughout, the Bearcats maintained an up-tempo pace, applying pressure to their visitors on both ends of the ball. The back-line, led by senior defender Connie Gormley, finished regulation allowing just six Cornell shots, five of which came in the second half. In their previous three matches, the Big Red’s powerful offense had put up a combined 43 shots on their opponents.
“That was probably the best full game that our players have had against a strong team who’s on a winning streak,” Binghamton head coach Sarah McClellan said. “The effort of our players and the focus that they had in those first 90 minutes was tremendous.”
Assisting Gormley on BU’s defensive end were sophomore backs Kelly Corrado and Allison Mack and freshman back Hannah Shankman. Senior goalkeeper Gaby Gold played the entire match and stopped several crosses in front of the net, which proved to be crucial in deciding the final outcome.
On the offensive end, Binghamton looked to capitalize on its numerous chances. Senior midfielder Emily Nuss tallied three shots, two of which sailed above the crossbar. O’Neill had a chance outside the 18-yard box in the closing minute of regulation, but it landed right before the keeper.
The overtime period, much like the first 90 minutes, began as a chiefly defensive bout. Junior forward Katherine Corcoran tallied the first shot of the period in the 94th minute to no avail. Then with 54 seconds remaining in the overtime period, Cornell junior midfielder Shanay Fischer headed in the game-winning goal off of a cross.
“[But it was] a great battle here against Cornell,” McClellan said. “That’s why we like to play them because it helps us get better.”
Standing below .500 at the conclusion of non-conference play, the Bearcats now prepare for their first America East foes with conference play kicking off next weekend.
Scheduled for only two games over the next two weeks, the Bearcats have time to regroup and develop their team play.
“We need every single practice now to get ready,” McClellan said. “We’re going to need every second of preparation for that game and we’ll need to take it one game at a time now because every conference game matters so much.”
First on the Bearcats’s AE schedule is a Sunday match at home against Maine. Play is set for noon at the Bearcats Sports Complex.