“We were at the bottom of the America East last year for free throw percentage and three-point percentage,” Callahan-Gold said. “I think I can help with that and not only just making shots, but just spreading the floor out so everyone else has a little more room to operate and do their thing.”

Callahan-Gold has not modeled his game after one player, drawing inspiration from taller forwards who can stretch the floor and hit knockdown shots.

“I’m a big LeBron guy, but my play style isn’t very similar to his,” Callahan-Gold said. “I’ve never really looked at one individual to model my game after, but I really appreciate, all of the great shooters. Klay Thompson, Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, just hitting the obvious ones. But also Kevin Love, some of the bigger guys who can stretch the floor and just appreciate how they put in so much time into their craft, perfect their shot, and make sure it’s effective.”

Callahan-Gold’s collegiate career started at Tulane, where he had a quiet freshman year, making four appearances off the bench. He played at most three minutes in a game and scored a season-high three points off three free throws against the University of Houston. Callahan-Gold transferred to Trinity College for the next three years, where he saw increased production and a jump in playing time.

“I had a short stint playing Division I in my freshman year at Tulane,” Callahan-Gold said. “It didn’t work out how I wanted it to. I’m just excited to finally be at this level and see what I can do.”

In his final season at Trinity, Callahan-Gold started all 32 games, averaging 16 points in 26.4 minutes per game, where he shot 85.5 percent from the free throw line and 36.2 percent from three-point range. He ranked seventh in the NESCAC in scoring and three-pointers made per game with 2.4, earning an all-NESCAC first-team honor. After leading the team to a remarkable 30-2 regular season, Trinity fell short in its NCAA Division III semifinals to Trine University.

“Coming from the Division III to the Division I platform, it’s a faster pace,” Callahan-Gold said. “[There is a] bigger, stronger, more athletic play style. I think just adjusting to that, the level of competition, it’s gonna take some time. [Binghamton will] probably be playing in front of the most fans I’ve ever played in front of — bigger crowds, bigger arenas, on ESPN. That’s a difference I’m looking forward to.”

Callahan-Gold is laser-focused and excited for the upcoming season, looking toward a bright future for men’s basketball at Binghamton.

“We’re [going to] bring excitement around Binghamton basketball that hasn’t been here for a while,” Callahan-Gold said. “The main goal for the team is to win the America East and advance to the NCAA tournament. I’ve been in a lot of winning locker rooms. I think that experience can be super, super helpful, especially here at Binghamton, where the beginning of a strong culture is starting.”

The Binghamton women’s soccer team defeated in-state rival Albany 4-0 in its regular-season finale on Thursday evening. With the win, The Bearcats have extended their unbeaten streak to six matches, heading into the America East playoff, where BU has clinched the No. 3 seed.

“We just had a difficult start, but I also feel like this team really responded well,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “After those first two matches, then we were able to get ourselves back on track.”

Binghamton (7-5-4, 4-2-2 AE) scored one goal on eight first-half shots, with the lone score coming from senior forward Mackenzie Ryder in the 23rd minute of the match. The Bearcats got this opportunity when senior midfielder Isabella Martillo led her teammate, sophomore defender/forward Megan Baker, out wide on the right side of the field, who crossed the ball into the crowded middle. The ball bounced then past an Albany (3-12-1, 2-5-1) defender and was picked up by Ryder, who blasted a 14-yard shot past the leaping Great Danes’ goalkeeper to put the Bearcats 1-0, a score they held going into the half.

“It’s always easier to play when you have the lead instead of chasing from behind,” Bhattacharjee said. “That helped, and then we talked about some things that we could do in the second half.”

Coming out of halftime, the Bearcats continued to be aggressive. This ultimately paid off in the 64th minute when Baker was tripped from behind by a Great Danes defender and given a penalty kick, which she buried into the back of the net. This would be Baker’s second goal in two games as she extended the Bearcats lead to 2-0.

“[Baker] is having a really good season,” Bhattacharjee said. “She’s been a big part of why we’ve been able to generate some attack.”

For the next 24 minutes, BU held a 2-0 advantage until Martillo scored her first collegiate goal from 16 yards away, off the crossbar and straight across the goal line to give the Bearcats an insurance goal. Binghamton was not done yet as freshman forward Jahkaya Davis scored her fifth goal of the year just 24 seconds later. Davis took possession off the ensuing kickoff and gathered herself before crossing midfield and advancing an additional 40 yards upfield into the UAlbany 18-yard box, striking the ball past the Great Danes’ goalkeeper to seal a 4-0 Bearcats win.

“I think we’ve been pleased,” Bhattacharjee said. “It was a rough start, but since then we’ve seen some different things. Even then, we’ve had a couple of frustrations, like the tie that we had against NJIT, the tie that we had against UMass Lowell, where we found ourselves up 3-0, only to give up two early second-half goals, and then a tying goal with a couple minutes left. Those were games that we felt like we could have put away.”

After finishing up conference play strong, the Bearcats will set their sights on the AE tournament as they look to gear up for a deep postseason run.

“We’re geared up and we’ll be ready to go,” Bhattacharjee said, “We got some recovery after yesterday, and then we’ll be ready to get going for Sunday.”

No. 3 Binghamton will begin its postseason run against No. 6 Vermont on Sunday, Nov. 3 in an AE semifinals matchup. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

Bess Greenberg, who held the all-time scoring record for 17 years, amassed 2,024 points during her collegiate career. When she started, the then-Colonials posted an impressive 97-16 record, and as a freshman, she led the team to a 22-3 record, securing the Eastern College Athletic Conference’s Rookie of the Year Award. Mickey Greenberg, BU’s first 1,000-point scorer, was Harpur College’s Athlete of the Year for two consecutive years.

Alan Freedman, the founder of the Jewish Sports Heritage Association, described the organization’s importance given current events in a statement to Pipe Dream.

“With all that is going on in the world, before October 7 and [since], it is more important than ever to try and break down the barriers that exist about diverse groups that people carry in their hearts and minds — anti-semitism is definitely on the rise and we believe that Jewish Sports Heritage Association is helping to create discussions of stereotype and prejudice,” Freedman wrote.

The two BU alumni will join six others as part of the association’s 2025 class.

In her sophomore year, playing Division II basketball for the first time, Bess Greenberg averaged 19.2 points and contributed to the team’s 26-4 record, winning a New England Collegiate Conference title. She willed the Bearcats to a 16-0 record in conference play during her junior year, when BU lost only two of their 29 games, breezing to an ECAC Championship. Throughout the season, she averaged 21.3 points and shot 53 percent from the field, in no small part thanks to her shooting 49 percent from three-point range. As a senior, she captained BU to a 22-7 record and their second straight ECAC championship, earning her the tournament’s Most Valuable Player Award for the second straight year.

Throughout her four-year career, Bess Greenberg filled her trophy cabinet, winning a multitude of individual awards. In her sophomore and junior years, she was named Binghamton University Athlete of the Year. In her senior year, she received the Outstanding Jewish Female College Athlete of the Year Award and was chosen as the NCAA New York Woman of the Year. Off the court, she excelled as a three-time academic All-American.

After graduating, she went on to play with Denmark’s Virum Basketball Club, where, in 2003, she was named the Most Valuable Player. She played in Denmark for four years before moving to Ramat Hasharon, Israel to play for Anda Ramat Hasharon.

Her father, Mickey, was a dominant force on the court during his final two years in Vestal, becoming the school’s first 1,000-point scorer in just 60 career games. As a junior in 1960, he led Harpur to a 14-3 record, the best single-season record they had at the time. He finished his collegiate career with a total of 1,013 points.

His senior year scoring average of 25.1 points per game ranks him second-best in school history, and he also holds the Bearcats’ single-game scoring record, after scoring 45 points against Utica in his senior year. He was the recipient of the first Jake Pitler Award in 1963.

After graduation, the elder Greenberg played professionally for the Washington Generals, the lauded opponents of the Harlem Globetrotters. Following his professional career, he spent 50 years coaching youth basketball in the Greater Binghamton region.

“They are both outstanding basketball players, teachers and role models,” Freedman wrote.

The pair will be inducted into the Jewish Sports Heritage Association on April 6, 2025, which will be held at Temple Israel in Lawrence, New York, and will be open to the public free of charge.

In the middle of a four game losing streak, the Binghamton baseball team got back in the win column with an 11-10 walk-off win over Canisius at home. The Bearcats battled back from an early 10-1 deficit, with senior designated hitter Christian Perez delivering with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to complete the comeback.

“We love to win,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “Any type of win is good and healthy for the team, especially when you rally like we did and you walk somebody off.”

After a scoreless first frame, Canisius (6-13) pulled ahead, putting up a six spot in the top of the second inning. A walk, followed by a wild pitch put senior first baseman Andrew Tan on second with two outs in the bottom of the frame, but the Bearcats [8-13, 2-4 America East (AE)] were unable to capitalize. After the Golden Griffins added an insurance run to open the fourth inning, Binghamton got on the board — courtesy of senior outfielder Mike Gunning mashing a home run to make it a 7-1 game.

“[Gunning] has the ability to knock the ball apart really, any time,” Sinicki said. “He just has to continue to try to get pitches that he can drive forward.”

A balk in the top of the fifth inning that advanced the runner to third, followed by a two-run Canisius single, allowed the Golden Griffins to cement their lead at 10-1. After the Bearcats brought in freshman pitcher Trey Sajeski, a walk and fielder’s choice ended the frame.

“Everyone’s gonna have a bad outing,” Sinicki said, “After a clean first inning, unfortunately, [graduate student pitcher Spencer Howell] just had one of those second innings. I thought that the guys who came in after him did a good job.”

In the bottom half of the fifth inning, the Bearcats began to mount a comeback when Perez singled to left field, plating senior outfielder Tommy Reifler and making it a 10-2 ball game. A single up the middle by junior outfielder Logan Haskell advanced Perez to second. Both runners then advanced a base to second and third, respectively, with two outs on a balk by the Canisius pitcher. It came down to senior catcher Kevin Reilly, with men on second and third, who barreled a three-run home run dead center to shorten the Canisius lead to 10-5 at the end of five frames.

“I just decided after the fourth inning [to put Reilly in for junior catcher Evin Sullivan],” Sinicki said, “It was time to get [Reilly] in there and get him some experience, handling some different arms behind the plate, and then give him an opportunity to have a couple of bats as well, and that really paid off.”

After the next two innings saw no additional runs added by either side, in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Bearcats’ offense began to heat up, putting up a five spot to tie the game at 10. This started with a wild pitch advancing both sophomore infielder Mike Stellrecht and senior shortstop Isaiah Corry to second and third. Following the opposing pitcher walking freshman infielder Todd Abraham to load the bases, a wild pitch opened the floodgates and kickstarted a sequence of five Bearcat runs on four walks to tie the game 10-10.

“[With] as many at-bats as we had in front of us, we thought just chip away little by little, and we were fortunate to get a couple of big innings as well,” Sinicki said.

After Canisius failed to score in the top of the ninth inning, Binghamton entered the bottom of the frame with a chance to walk it off. After Corry was hit by a pitch, Reifler reached on a fielder’s choice to advance Corry to second base. With the winning run in scoring position, a line drive to center field off the bat of Perez brought in Corry to complete an 11-10 comeback victory for the Bearcats.

“It’s a long game, and the beauty of the sport is, there’s no clock,” Sinicki said, “You have as much time as you as you need to try to come back from a deficit like that.”

Binghamton will go back on the road to take on Middle Tennessee in a three game set. The first pitch of the first game is set for Thursday, March 28 at 6 p.m. at Reese Smith Jr. Field in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

“I think [VMI] is a team that is a really good program,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “They’ve played a couple other power five [teams] and battled pretty them good, but I’m disappointed that we didn’t win the series.”

In the first game of the series, the Bearcats (4-9) emerged victorious 6-2. BU got to work early, plating two runs against the Keydets (8-9) in the second inning, courtesy of an RBI triple from sophomore infielder Mike Stellrecht and an RBI groundout off the bat of freshman infielder Todd Abraham. VMI and Binghamton’s pitchers dueled as the game neither team scored again until top of the seventh inning, when graduate student first baseman Sam Haney hit a solo home run and junior infielder Devan Bade hit an RBI double to make it 4-0. VMI tallied one run in the bottom of the seventh inning to bring the Keydets within 3 runs. However, Binghamton added two insurance runs in eight inning. The Keydets went on to score one run in the ninth, but it was enough as BU picked up the win in game on.

“I thought for the most part [the pitching this series] was good,” Sinicki said. “I thought we got a great start out of [senior pitcher Gabe Driscoll] on Friday. [Sophomore pitcher Ryan Bates] had too many walks, [which] ran up his pitch count a little too quick, but kept us in the ball game. [Senior pitcher Nelson Berkwich] was good as well, but unfortunately the bullpen gave up a couple runs after he left the game.”

Binghamton fell 5-3 to the Keydets in game two, despite getting on the board first. In the third inning, a sacrifice fly from Bade brought in Strellrecht to make it 1-0. VMI’s responded with three runs in the fifth inning. Then, a two-run home run, courtesy of senior outfielder Mike Gunning in the sixth inning tied the game at 3-3. Two innings later, the Keydets put up a two-spot in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 5-3 lead. VMI held this for the rest of the way, taking the second game of the Friday doubleheader. A bright spot for the Bearcats in the afternoon was junior catcher Evin Sullivan, who went 6-for-8 at the plate over the two games.

“It’s about consistency,” Sinicki said, “[Sullivan] had a great day on Friday, and didn’t have a great day [on Sunday], so it’s about being consistent each and every time out. It doesn’t mean getting three hits every time out, it’s about getting quality at bats and that’s what we need from [Sullivan].”

In the rubber match, BU suffered another 5-3 loss to the Keydets. BU struck first in the third inning off an RBI single by junior outfielder Logan Haskell which brought in senior outfielder Eric Madenberg. However, VMI came right back with two runs in the fourth inning and one run in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to take a 5-1 lead. In the eight inning, Bearcats closed the gap, plating two runs after Gunning smacked an RBI double and Stellrecht hit an RBI single to bring the score to 5-3. However, this was the closest Binghamton managed to get. In the top of the ninth, after a leadoff single from senior shortstop Isaiah Corry, VMI shut the door as BU was defeated in the game and the series altogether.

“We work on situational hitting every day in practice,” Sinicki said. “So it comes down to taking what you do in practice and applying it to game situations. We need everyone to buy into what it means to be a good team offense — [and without that], we’re not going to get where we want to be.”

Binghamton will play its home opener against St. Bonaventure on Tuesday, March 12. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at the Bearcats Baseball Complex in Vestal, New York.

The Binghamton baseball team kicked off its 2024 campaign against Houston and was ultimately swept in the three games series. BU dropped the first game 8-4, followed by an 8-2 loss in game two. The series concluded on Sunday with the Bearcats suffering a lopsided 7-0 defeat and a series sweep.

“If you break down each game and take away one inning from each of the three games, you’re looking at three pretty solid games,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “All in all, I hate to lose… but I feel good about what the season may end up producing.”

In the first game of the series, the Bearcats (0-3) suffered a 8-4 defeat. Houston (3-0) wasted no time, scoring a run off senior pitcher Gabe Driscoll in the bottom of the first inning. However, the Bearcats came right back in the top of the second inning, plating two runs as junior infielder Devan Bade scored on a wild pitch and junior outfielder Logan Haskell singled to bring in graduate student first baseman Sam Haney. Junior second baseman Nick Roselli then homered in the third inning to give BU a 3-1 lead. Binghamton did not hold this lead for long as the Cougars plated a run in the fourth inning and three runs in both the fifth and seventh innings to take a 8-3 lead. Despite scoring a run in the eighth inning off an RBI single from Roselli, it was not enough as BU dropped its season opener.

“[Roselli] is a terrific player,” Sinicki said. “[Roselli] came out of the gates showing why he is one of the best players not only in the conference but also in the region.”

Binghamton fell 8-2 to the Cougars in game two. Despite, BU striking first in the second inning, as senior first baseman Andrew Tan scored on a ground out to second base by sophomore infielder Mike Stellrecht, the Bearcats were held scoreless until the seventh inning. In this span, the Cougars scored one run in the bottom frame of the third, and two runs in the fourth, before the Bearcats tacked on their second and final run of the game, which came off an RBI double from Bade that brought in senior outfielder Mike Gunning. Houston scored two runs in the bottom off the seventh inning and three runs in the eighth inning to secure an 8-2 victory.

“We struck out way too much,” Sinicki said, “You’re not putting pressure on their defense to make plays. We’ve got to do a better job of trying to find a way to put the ball in play more often. We never really amounted to a serious threat like we want it to.”

In the Bearcats third and final game of the series, they were shutout by the Cougars 7-0. With UNC transfer —senior pitcher Nelson Berkwich on the rubber, making his first start as a Bearcat, Houston got the scoring started with one run in the first and third innings. With Houston leading 2-0 heading into the eighth inning, the Cougars broke the game open with a five run outburst to go up 7-0 against the Bearcats. Then, in the top of the ninth inning, freshman infielder Tim Hennig, Bade, and Tan all struck out for BU as the Cougars sealed a 7-0 victory.

“If you look at each starting pitcher, when they left the game, we were in a ballgame,” Sinicki said. “They gave us an opportunity to be in the ballgame. Some of the guys we brought down the bullpen did a terrific job. Other guys struggled a little bit.”

In addition to the suffering a 3-0 sweep, the Bearcats will be without one of its key pieces in Roselli for the foreseeable future as he did not play in the second and third games of the series against the Cougars due to injury. Sinicki addressed how the loss of Roselli in the lineup will be difficult and how it will be a collective team effort to replace him in the three spot in the starting lineup.

“There’s nobody on our roster that can replace [Roselli],” Sinicki said. “He’s that talented. He’s that experienced, and he’s that dangerous … What we have to do is we have to give opportunities to other players in our program, to, play his position, try to contribute to the team and then we’ve got to find different ways to win games … For the past [X] number of months, I basically had [Roselli] penciled in as our number three hitter for the entire season. So that’s a spot that will have to be something that we define.”

Binghamton’s next three-game series against UNC Greensboro is scheduled to start on Friday, Feb. 23. The first pitch is set for 4 p.m. at the UNCG Baseball Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The Catamounts enter the 2023-24 campaign as preseason title favorites for the first time in fourteen years. This will be the first time that Vermont has been selected first in the America East (AE) preseason poll in six seasons under Vermont head coach Alisa Kresge. The Catamounts ranked No. 3 in last year’s AE preseason poll and ended up with a 25-7 record, earning a share of the AE regular season title. Vermont dominated the AE playoffs, winning their 17th straight game in the championship game against Albany. Senior forward Anna Olson received the preseason all-conference honor for the third consecutive year. Last season saw Olson lead AE in field goal percentage, averaging 11.4 points, 1.5 assists and 0.9 blocks while leading the team with 6.5 rebounds per game and was rightfully named to the 2023-24 AE first-team all-conference. Graduate student guard Emma Utterback earned her second consecutive preseason all-conference honor this season after being named to the AE all-conference first team a season ago, having ranked fifth in the conference in scoring at 14 points per game last season, in which she led AE play with 4.2 assists per game while shooting 40.9 percent. She was named the 2022-23 AE championship most outstanding player as well for her performance in the AE tournament. Vermont will be the team to beat in the AE this year as the Catamounts have all the pieces to make a deep run in the AE tournament once again.

2. Maine (16-14, 11-5 AE)

The Black Bears will be bringing back all five starters and their eight top scorers from their 2022-23 campaign, including junior forward Adrianna Smith, the reigning AE player of the year and graduate student guard Anne Simon, who were both selected to the preseason AE all-conference team. The Black Bears finished with a 16-14 overall record, and 11-5 in conference play, ultimately coming up short against Albany in the AE semifinals. Smith led the conference in both scoring, averaging 17.9 points per game and rebounding, grabbing 9.5 rebounds a game while adding 16 double-doubles on the season. Simon, a 2021 and 2022 AE first-team selection, also returns a year after averaging 13.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14 games last season. Graduate student guard Anna Kahelin, who was injured in the Black Bears season opener will also make a return for her graduate season. Maine opens its season on Monday, Nov. 6 with a trip to Quinnipiac before meeting La Salle on Thursday, Nov. 9. Maine will then host UMass on Nov. 12 for their home opener at Memorial Gymnasium in Orono, Maine. The Black Bears will be a formidable opponent once again in the AE and will look to put all of its pieces together in search of an AE title.

3. UAlbany (22-11, 14-2 AE)

The Great Danes were picked third in the preseason AE poll, with returning stat leader — senior guard Kayla Cooper —being named to the preseason AE all-conference team. The Great Danes finished the season as the co-regular season champions, tied with Vermont for first place in the conference. The Great Danes won 20 of their 30 regular season matches, 12 of them being wins against AE opponents. Cooper, a Fredrick, Maryland native, amassed an impressive 15.2 points per game and racked up an average of 8.3 rebounds per game. While doing so, she ranked second in the AE conference in points and the top five for rebounds. The Great Danes will look to build off their 2022-23 success and look to top their second-place finish in last year’s season. Albany is set to begin the 2023-24 slate on Monday, Nov. 6 at Merrimack. The Great Danes will likely be a strong contender in the AE once again and will be a team to watch this year.

4. Binghamton

5. NJIT (13-16, 8-8 AE)

The Highlanders finished below .500 for the second time in their three years as a member of the AE Conference. For a team that finished at .500 in conference play, sophomore guard Alejandra Zuniga was a bright spot on the floor. Zuniga averaged 12.3 points per game with a .420 field goal percentage and 37 steals. As a result, Zuniga was named AE Rookie of the Year and she will look to build on her strong freshman campaign with the Highlanders. Two-time AE third-team all-conference graduate student guard Kenna Squier will also return to NJIT for her fifth year. Squier has been a prominent player on the court for NJIT for several years now, having started all 105 in her Highlanders career, averaging 11 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 49.8 percent from the field. The Highlanders will look to carry off of their successes in the past three seasons as a member of the AE when they begin their 2023-24 campaign on Nov. 6 in West Point, New York against Army before returning to Newark for their first home game against Merrimack. Despite being picked to finish fifth in AE, NJIT has been trending in the right direction so don’t be surprised if they climb its way up this list by the end of the year.

6. UMBC (14-15, 10-6 AE)

The Retrievers were knocked out of the AE tournament in the AE semifinals at the hands of the eventual champions in Vermont. Last year, UMBC shot 47.2 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc. Ultimately, UMBC finished under .500 for the 16th consecutive season. The Retrievers, who advanced to their first AE semifinal game since 2015, collected the highest win total since the 2016-17 season when the team won 15 games. Despite having arguably the best offense in the AE, the Retrievers were unable to reciprocate their abilities on the defensive end as they surrendered an average of 66.1 points per game to opponents last season which was the worst in the AE. Junior guard Laycee Drake will be making a return as the team’s highest returning scorer as she averaged 7.9 points per game last year. UMBC also welcomed six newcomers who are poised to contribute to the UMBC’s lackluster defense. The Retrievers will look to exceed their projected sixth-place finish this upcoming season.

7. Bryant (9-21, 3-13 AE)

The Bulldogs struggled mightily in their first year in the AE conference, cobbling a measly three conference wins — including one against UNH at home, one against UMass Lowell and a sneaky win against NJIT at home. A bright spot in the Bulldogs’ debut season was senior forward/center Mariona Planes Fortuny, who earned AE second-team all-conference and all-defensive team honors. Fortuny hails from Bellpuig, Spain and recorded twenty-three 10-plus scoring efforts and 10 20-plus scoring games. She has also tallied 455 points this season, which ranks seventh all-time. Fortuny leads the team in field goal percentage, shooting 46.9 percent from the floor and points per game, averaging 15.6 points per game, field goals made per game with 5.7, free throw-attempts with 4.9 and free throws made with 118. Fortuny and her teammates look forward to a clean slate but with little direction for the future, Bryant’s struggles are bound to continue as the team continues to rebuild for the future.

8. New Hampshire (7-21, 2-14 AE)

The Wildcats finished last in the AE last year as its offense struggled for the majority of the year. UNH averaged just 53.6 points per game, the lowest total in the AE last season. The Wildcats will return four of five starters from last year’s team including sophomore guard Avery O’Connor, who was the second-leading scorer for the team, averaging 12.0 points per game while also grabbing an average of 6.1 boards per game. The Wildcats finished their 2022-23 campaign with a 55-49 loss to UMass Lowell in the final game of the regular season as they failed to make the AE postseason. A notable loss for UNH is senior guard Brooke Kane, who started and played in all 28 Wildcat games last year, leading the team in blocks with 24 and averaging 11.8 points per game. UNH added four newcomers to the team for the upcoming season including freshman guard Maggie Cavanaugh, freshman forward Sharmela Reid and junior guard Clara Gomez who will look to make an impact in the upcoming season. With a subpar offense, UNH is bound to struggle this season and will likely finish in the bottom half of the AE once again

9. UMass Lowell (5-22, 4-12 AE)

The River Hawks finished seventh in the AE last season, their first season under .500 since 2021-22 and their first with less than 10 wins since 2018-19, when the team mustered just seven victories. Last season, they averaged 53.3 points per game as a team, 32.6 rebounds per game and averaged nearly two fewer steals per game than their opponents. UMass Lowell added eight newcomers to the 2023-24 squad, five freshmen and three transfer students, to boost the depth that was absent on the River Hawks’ bench last year. The freshmen include forward Rayne Durant, and guards Abbey Lindsey, Maddie Rice, Gabby Ross and Cire Worley. Sophomore guard Sophie Baydanov, redshirt junior guard Sydney Watkins and junior forward Alex Gitchenko join UMass Lowell for its upcoming title quest. At Moorhead State last season, Baydanov made 27 appearances with two starts. She averaged 3.3 points and 1.3 rebounds for a total of 90 points, 36 rebounds, 10 steals and seven assists. In two seasons at Miami University, Watkins made 44 appearances and five starts, averaging 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 points per game. In 29 games in 2022-23, she tallied 83 rebounds, 68 points and 33 steals, shooting 37 percent from the field. Gitchenko, who previously played for Georgia State, made 39 appearances and 20 starts. She averaged 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in her two years at GSU. Despite making an effort to revamp its roster, the River Hawks will most likely not be in contention for an AE title, earning the last place spot in this year’s poll.

When she’s not splashing threes on the court, redshirt sophomore Ella Wanzer’s forte is painting up and down the canvas. Last season, Wanzer started in 29 of the Bearcats’ 30-game slate and was the Bearcats’ second-leading scorer. However, the start of Wanzer’s collegiate career did not begin this way. Wanzer’s campaign as a true freshman at Binghamton was cut short after only eight games due to an injury early on in the season.

“Being injured was hard,” Wanzer said. “I never really experienced an injury until I got to college … I think it really motivated me. I learned a lot while watching.”

Throughout the 2022-23 campaign, Wanzer was able to do more than just bounce back. She was named to the America East (AE) all-rookie team, awarded the AE rookie of the week distinction three times and ranked second on the team in scoring, averaging 11 points in 25.4 minutes per game. In six games throughout the season, Wanzer led the team in scoring. She reached double figures in scoring 13 times — including a team-best four games with at least 20 points.

“It feels awesome [being named to the AE all-rookie team],” Wanzer said. “I was really happy to come back and have the season that I did. I felt like I was pretty proud of myself for bouncing back after being injured.”

All of this could not have been accomplished without the support of her teammates who helped her in practice and during her recovery from her injury — notably, redshirt sophomore Jadyn Weltz, Wanzer’s roommate and teammate. Both Weltz and Wanzer relied on each other throughout their freshman year, and they were able to encourage each other off the court before getting the chance to work off of each other’s energy in the 2022-23 season. Wanzer credited their shared experience as helping to push each other through adversity.

“[Weltz and I] were both leaning on each other to get through [injuries] our freshman year,” Wanzer said. ”[All of my teammates] push me in practice. Having to play against such great defenders every day … really pushes you to get open in games.”

Wanzer shot a team-leading .398 from the three-point line last season, knocking down 70 three-pointers in total on the season, which she attributes to her natural ability to knock down shots from the arc.

“It’s something I’ve been pretty good at since I was really young and a pretty big reason why I’m here where I am today,” Wanzer said. “And it’s from getting a lot of shots up in high school, and now working with my coaches.”

The Bearcat continues to think basketball even when not on the court, as Wanzer finds her graphic design major to be very comparable to her life on the court with her teammates.

“One of the big things about art is critique,” Wanzer said. “You spend 20-30 hours on a painting … Your classmates will still find something to critique, and being able to be strong in your work despite all of that negative feedback is very similar to having a bad game and hearing people doubt you. Regardless of how others view your performance, the main point is you being you. Handling criticism in the arts has helped me handle criticism in basketball.”

The foremost message that Wanzer wants to relay to all Bearcats fans for this upcoming season is straightforward yet crucial.

“Support women’s basketball,” Wanzer said. “Women’s basketball is exciting, and I hope that people give us a chance and support us throughout the season. I promise that we’re going to give [the fans] a good show throughout the season.”

Oct. 7, 2023 was the single-deadliest day for the Jewish people and the State of Israel since the Holocaust. According to the Israel Defense Force (IDF), on Oct. 7, 2023, thousands of Hamas terrorists tore down the security fence separating the Gaza Strip from Israel using tractors, RPGs and explosives. At the same time, Hamas terrorists launched thousands of rockets at the sovereign state of Israel. Terrorists entered using paragliders to fly over the security fence as well as boats with the intention of invading Zikim Beach, a beach where Israelis were spending their Saturday. This cool autumn day was also the Jewish holiday of Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest as well as Simchat Torah, a day on which Jewish people around the world celebrate finishing the Torah and beginning to re-read it by dancing, singing and rejoicing. Hamas terrorists barbarically invaded Israel with the premeditated aim of murdering innocent Israeli civilian mothers, children, fathers and elderly.

Instead of our peers across campuses nationwide and the greater non-Jewish community all wishing us condolences and praying for our people, according to a Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll, 51 percent of young adults ages 18-24 who were surveyed defended the terrorist attack and the merciless violence, and did not condemn Hamas as a terrorist organization that killed out of their hatred toward the Jewish people, leaving students feeling uneasy at best and afraid at worst.

The massacre began when Hamas terrorists invaded multiple Israeli communities and IDF bases near the border with Gaza. After managing to gain entry to the towns and bases, Hamas terrorists began to shoot at whatever was in their line of sight. According to the IDF, terrorists broke in to Israeli houses and shot, raped, beheaded and burned innocent Israelis inside. Full families, who were hiding in the safe room, a place designed to be a haven at the time of rocket fire from neighboring terrorists, were shot at from outside the room until the terrorists managed to gain entry. According to the IDF website, “Hamas terrorists briefly took control of about 10 Israeli towns, terrorizing and brutalizing their residents.”

At least 1,400 civilians were murdered and tortured, and 239 were kidnapped to Gaza, with those kidnapped ranging from infants to adults in their 80s, including Holocaust survivors. Of the 1,400 civilians who were murdered, at least 260 were attending an all-night rave at the border, the Tribe of Nova Festival. The festival was interrupted by terrorists aiming to murder civilians simply for the fact that they were Jewish, spreading hate in an environment valuing peace. According to CNN, at around 6:30 a.m., partygoers from across the world took cover as the sirens of incoming rockets from Gaza blared. Terrorists invaded the festival and began to fire at partygoers left and right, murdering those who were unable to find safety. Few were able to survive, some hiding in bushes for hours on end. The majority of the murdered were youth.

At Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community with roughly 450 residents, on Oct. 7, almost 160 people were forced to evacuate. Approximately 1 in 4 residents of the peaceful community of Kibbutz Nir Oz have been kidnapped, murdered or missing, according to a statement from kibbutz.

IDF soldiers did all they could to defend their country and were murdered by Hamas terrorists who infiltrated their bases, while defending the land of their ancestors.

Among the over 239 individuals kidnapped to Gaza is Omer Neutra, a native of Plainview, New York, who was accepted to Binghamton before deferring to spend a year in Israel. Omer then deferred his acceptance to BU once more to stay in Israel and enlist in the IDF.

Israeli cribs and baby carriers were discovered bloodstained. Families were discovered in embrace, yet lifeless. Pets were left behind, including a dog who refused to leave a child’s bed, waiting for its owners who would never return. Hamas terrorists burned down entire houses while individuals were hiding in the safe room and slaughtered babies.

The Israeli response to Hamas’ reign of terror on Oct. 7 is to eliminate the threat of Hamas in its entirety — its leadership, organizational structure and members — and by doing so, ensure that no Israeli grandmother, grandfather, mother, father or child should ever again have to fear for their lives in their own home.

Seth Schlank is a junior majoring in psychology.

The Binghamton women’s soccer team drew Wagner 2-2 on a humid Sunday afternoon in Staten Island, New York. The first half of the game was filled with strong BU energy, while the momentum was tilted in favor of Wagner for most of the second half. However, neither team could pull through and break the tie as the Seahawks and Bearcats ended the match in a tie.

“We know that we could have played a little sharper, and that would have limited what we would have had to tend with when defending Wagner and would have helped us continue to create chances,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “There are things that we are very much in control of, and if we do that to our ability, that’s where good things are going to happen.”

Binghamton (1-3-2) went back and forth in possession with the Seahawks (2-3-1) in the first half. BU totaled six shots on goal in comparison to a total of two shots in the first half for the Seahawks’ offensive. Junior goalkeeper Kaitlyn Williams started between the pipes for the Bearcats, and faced little opposition, aside from one shot from Wagner. Each team tallied three fouls each in the first half of play, with BU freshman defender Sophia Garofalo taking a yellow card just 15 minutes in. While the Bearcats stayed in control during the first half, they were unable to put one past the Seahawks goalkeeper until the second half.

“One thing we talked about was how we could get in behind their [back line] and force their backs to be facing their own goal, and certainly we were able to do that,” Bhattacharjee said. “If we could get behind their backs and test them, then that could get more chances for us.”

The second half saw more offense for both sides. In the 49th minute, graduate student midfielder Olivia McKnight was set free by sophomore forward Lauren Clark, and McKnight was brought down in the box, giving BU a penalty kick opportunity. Shortly after, senior defender Lexi Vegoda converted the penalty kick for her second goal of the year. However, Wagner tied it with a goal six minutes later. Then, in the 81st minute, a shot from the right side of the box gave the Seahawks a 2-1 advantage.

“We knew that Wagner was going to be pretty high energy in terms of how they were going to defend and compete,” Bhattacharjee said. “It was one of those games where a mistake here or there ended up being costly.”

In the final minute, senior defender Emma Colling scored the equalizer off of a header after being assisted by a long ball from Vegoda from the left side into the box, where Colling headed it toward the goal. A Wagner defender headed it back to Colling, who volleyed the ball into the near side and past the goaltender with 39 seconds remaining in the match. Neither squad managed another score, and the game ended in a 2-2 tie.

“I know that this team is going to fight until the very last minute,” Bhattacharjee said. “[We] were still looking for chances to get shots off, and obviously with 39 seconds left, it led to us getting a game-tying goal. That’s good for us to know about ourselves. As long as we continue to keep fighting, there are always good things that can go our way.”

Binghamton will return home this weekend to host Maryland on Sunday, Sept. 10. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Bearcat Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

“Our three freshmen did a pretty good job pitching,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “We got a good start out of [freshman pitcher] Dan McAliney — [freshman pitcher] Andrew Fingleton came in, and although he gave up three runs, the runs came on what was a wind-blown home run, and [freshman pitcher] Aidan Pawlak made his season debut and threw a shutout inning. My biggest takeaway is that those three guys did a good job pitching for us.”

BU (8-8) and Penn State (12-5) held each other to a scoreless game through the first two innings, but both teams ended the drought in the third — adding a run each to the tally. Senior outfielder Cavan Tully led off the top of third with a single hit into centerfield. After the next batter flied out, junior outfielder Mike Gunning and senior first baseman Kevin Gsell slapped back-to-back singles to load the bases. Sophomore infielder Devan Bade capitalized on this opportunity, hitting a sacrifice fly that plated Tully to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead. The Nittany Lions, however, responded in the bottom of the third with a run to tie the game, and then proceeded to put a three spot up in the fourth, a six spot in the seventh and four on the board in the eighth. What seemed like a tight game became a blowout as the hosts slowly piled onto their score.

“We had the bases loaded in the second and third innings, but we just couldn’t plate any runs,” Sinicki said. “It’s been a concern of ours all season — we haven’t been able to get guys in, even with outs. We have to practice more situational hitting, and hopefully we’ll be able to get outside more and get guys to look for more pitches to hit to the outfield and get guys in.”

What was a 4-1 game going into Binghamton’s half of the fifth inning became a 5-1 game prior to a Penn State offensive explosion in its half of the seventh. The Nittany Lions plated six runs on four hits in the bottom of the seventh and scored four runs on four hits in the following inning. After scoring in the third inning, Binghamton was unable to add any more to its total as the hosts cruised to a 15-1 victory.

Despite the lopsided score, the Bearcats tallied 10 hits as a team compared to 13 from the Nittany Lions. Gsell was the only Bearcat with more than one hit as he went 4-for-4, with a double and three singles. Additionally, the visitors left 12 men on base, compared to Penn State’s six over the course of the contest.

“[Gsell’s] been a middle-of-the-order hitter for us his entire [BU] career, and he’s swinging the bat as well as I’ve seen him swing the bat his entire career here,” Sinicki said. “He’s an experienced kid, and even though he missed all of last year, he is a young man we need to produce for us, and right now seems to be pretty locked in at the plate.”

Binghamton is slated to begin conference play against the defending AE Championship runner-up UMass Lowell on Friday, March 24 in a three-game weekend series. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Bearcats Baseball Complex in Vestal, New York.

“We’ve got pretty good talent in all of the classes,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “Last year we got pretty good talent out of the guys who were freshmen, so we just need to just continue on developing every year, every class.”

During BU’s (1-5) first outing on Friday, it took the field against No. 4 ranked Wake Forest (9-0), the highest-ranked opponent that the Bearcats have faced in 13 years. Binghamton got off to a quick start in the first inning, getting two runners on base, but its early success was promptly extinguished by the Demon Deacons. In the bottom of the frame, three hits from the hosts, including a two-run homer, a double and a single, sprung Wake Forest ahead 3-0.

Then, after two full scoreless frames, the Demon Deacons added to their lead with a two-out, two-RBI double. BU’s lone hit came off of the bat of junior outfielder Mike Gunning in the top half of the sixth. The Bearcats had a chance later in the ninth inning when they loaded the bases. However, the visitors were unable to plate any runs as they left all runners stranded on base. The Demon Deacons finished with a 6-0 win over the Bearcats.

“They’re the fourth-ranked team in the nation for a reason, but I think we played pretty well,” Sinicki said. “We pitched really well, but we went up against preseason All-American [Rhett Lowder].”

After a scoreless first game of the tournament, the Bearcats defeated Mount Saint Mary’s (5-3) 27-2 on Saturday thanks to the offensive efforts of sophomore infielders Devan Bade and Nick Roselli, who combined for 13 RBIs. The 27 runs scored are the most BU has scored since defeating St. Peter’s 34-3 on Mar. 22, 2005. Every Bearcat position player notched at least one run and one RBI — totaling 27 runs on 22 hits with 10 of those hits going for extra bases.

Bade went 4-5, tallying a season-high four hits and seven RBIs. The Bearcat also notched two home runs, a triple and two walks.

Roselli registered six RBIs in the contest, three of which came from a home run in the first inning. The sophomore added another RBI in the fourth and a two-run single in the eighth. Junior pitcher Gabe Driscoll earned the win on the mound, allowing just five hits and one run over six innings pitched. Driscoll notched five strikeouts in the Bearcats’ first win of the season.

“We have to go out there and be consistent,” Sinicki said. “It can’t just be one game. If you’re a good ball club, you have to have some consistent play.”

Binghamton dropped its final game of the weekend to Towson (1-6) on Sunday by a score of 10-1. BU got out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning courtesy of a single by junior outfielder Tommy Reifler, plating junior catcher Kevin Reilly. The Tigers responded in a flurry, notching three runs in the top of the third, four in the top of the fourth and closed the game out with two in the ninth.

“Baseball’s a game of rhythm and of repetition,” Sinicki said. “When you play three games and drive back [to Binghamton] … It’s not easy to go out there, play full games and then come back and then practice inside.”

The Bearcats will take the field again next weekend starting Friday, March 3 for a three-game series against Norfolk State. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Marty L. Miller Field in Norfolk, Virginia.

“When they came back, there was excitement about the championship from last year,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “Our focus has now shifted to trying to prepare for the America East tournament this coming year here at Binghamton. We have a long ways to go.”

Last year, BU advanced to the NCAA Regionals as the AE representatives as well as playing for the right to play in the NCAA College World Series. BU played one game against Stanford Cardinal, losing 20-7, only before dropping a second game against the UC Santa Barbara 9-4.

“I think the backbone of a team is the pitching staff,” said senior pitcher Thomas Babalis. “And we have a lot of guys who we can put in any situation at any given moment, and we can trust them to get out whenever we need to.”

As a junior in 2022, current senior starting pitcher Babalis started 16 games, accumulated a 4-7 record and was selected to second team all-conference. In the regular season, Babalis mounted a 4.98 ERA and struck out 86 batters in a team-high 85.0 innings, which was the third-highest strikeout rate in program history. A standout moment of his season came against NJIT, when Babalis struck out nine Highlanders during a May 26 postseason win. The Bearcats went on to win that game 20-3.

“Yeah, I think there’s a lot of potential to be better,” Babalis said. “Just like with all the arms coming back, we’re just getting better. A bunch of fifth years, a bunch of seniors — we brought in a few freshmen who are going to get the beginning of this year.”

Freshmen newcomers include pitchers Dan McAliney, Aidan Pawlak, Andrew Fingleton, catcher Matt Deutsch, infielder Mike Stellrecht and outfielder Nick Ungania.

“We open up this weekend in Clemson,” Sinicki said. “[We’ll] try to continue to develop our guys throughout the course of the season and hopefully play our best baseball come April and May when it matters most.”

Coach Sinicki is entering his 31st season as the leading member of the Bearcats coaching staff. Returning to Binghamton with Sinicki for the 2023 season are 25 lettermen, three all-conference selections, the team’s first seven hitters in the lineup and its entire weekend rotation from a 2022 team that claimed its fifth America East championship.

“You don’t get better if you don’t challenge our guys,” Sinicki said. “We try not to really worry about the wins and losses too much early on.

Sophomore outfielder Logan Haskell started 37 out of the 41 games in which he played, 31 of those being in centerfield. Hitting .310 with 45 hits, five doubles, and 19 RBIs, Haskell notched a .409 on-base percentage and was named to America East All-Rookie Team. Haskell, who hit .500 in his senior season in high school, notched a double and two singles over the course of the two NCAA regional games.

“You just never get tired of doing the hard stuff, you keep working every day,” Haskell said. “[You can’t get] relaxed out there because maybe a freshman this year comes and takes your job. You still got to keep working [every single day].”

Sophomore catcher Evin Sullivan started all 49 games a season ago and was selected AE and ECAC Rookie of the Year. Sullivan hit .365 with team-highs of 70 hits, 15 doubles, 23 extra-base hits and 42 RBIs.

“We just try to worry about getting better each and every day and developing as a program and as a team,” Sinicki said.

The Bearcats open their season with a three-game series against Clemson University starting on Friday, Feb. 17. First pitch of Game 1 is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.

“This year, I want to focus on getting better each and every day, and to develop winning habits and to instill the winning habits from my teammates,” McGriff said.

BU made it to the semifinals in the AE tournament this past season, before falling to the eventual champions UVM. The team is looking forward to a fresh start. McGriff felt like, last year, he was in a different role than the rest of the team — being fresh off a transfer from St. John’s and stepping into bigger shoes at Binghamton.

“Based on certain games and certain situations, I learned so much on the court … that I can use to help me grow,” McGriff said.

McGriff scored his season-high 21 points in a road win at UMass Lowell on Feb. 19, shooting an efficient 9-14 from the field. The Bearcat had 16 double-digit scoring games, with six in a row to close out the regular season. He will look to continue this type of offensive output and play an active role for BU season this year.

On the court, McGriff sees himself as an energetic and vocal leader, always looking to play a part in the game. Last season, the transfer was adapting to Binghamton head coach Levell Sanders’ playbook and filling in the role where he was needed. McGriff credits his leadership skills to his father, saying that he helped him become the player and person he is now.

“In life, I look up [to] my father for his leadership and the impact that he had played in my life,” McGriff said. “[He] helped me develop into the young man I am today.”

In high school, McGriff accumulated an impressive resume. At Bishop McNamara High School, McGriff led the team in his senior year to a 21-11 record and a quarterfinal berth in Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship. This earned him a No. 33 point guard ranking in the nation, No. 2 in state of Maryland for 2019, per 247Sports. Additionally, McGriff gained three-star recruit status, per ESPN and 247Sports, to aid his journey into college basketball.

On the court, McGriff credits NBA star Chris Paul in how he has developed into a basketball player. His style of play is reflective of how McGriff sees himself on the court and how he hopes to see his role for the Bearcats adapt this season. Paul, an efficient mid-range shooter and exceptional passer, inspired McGriff’s style of play on the hardwood.

“I study how he gets to his spots and sets up his teammates,” McGriff said. “[I like] how effective he is on the court, and I love how he gives everyone the ball.”

McGriff works hard every day in practice to be his best self. The junior takes the difficult shots and runs the tough plays. The Bearcats, who are looking to take the next step this season, will look to McGriff to make the big plays when they matter in order to secure more wins in tightly contested AE conference.

“Watching film from last year and from offseason practice has definitely made us a better basketball team,” McGriff said. “My [basketball] IQ has gotten better and better. For me to be the top-notch basketball player, it’s all about consistency. All about getting shots and making the game simpler.”

“I thought the energy in the group was outstanding,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “I felt like the guys up front were hungry to score goals. [Junior midfielder Shawn Coles] was outstanding today, perhaps man of the match.”

Binghamton (5-8-4, 3-2-2 AE) has now scored seven goals in its last two games, four of which coming against UMBC (10-5-2, 4-3 AE). The majority of the offense took place in the first half, as the Retrievers found the opener 23 minutes into the match. However, the Bearcats’ response didn’t take long to flip the game on its head. Coles earned his first goal of the game just under four minutes later, then soon after followed it up with an assist, setting up junior midfielder Markos Touroukis’ outside-of-the-box effort. Coles rounded out his eventful first frame by guiding in a fumbled shot from sophomore midfielder Billy Clark in the 37th minute.

“Coles, it’s that simple,” Marco said. “His energy was outstanding. His tenacity, his drive with the ball, his creativity, he was outstanding tonight.”

The second half began the same way as the first did, with UMBC finding its second goal in the 66th minute, setting the score at 3-2 in the Bearcats’ favor. Both offenses stayed stagnant over the next 20 minutes of play. That was until graduate student forward Ethan Homler secured the win for Binghamton in the 88th minute, retaking its two goal lead with under two minutes remaining. He was found unmarked in the opponent’s box by freshman back Will Mahoney. The freshman sent a cross from the right-hand side, whizzing past the Retriever keeper and finished off by Homler.

“I think that through the last month the group has really figured out what competitive spirit is and what it might take to win at this level consistently,” Marco said. “The attitude of the leadership corps of this team has been outstanding. They’ve been inspiring, they’ve been holding guys to excellent standards and I think we’re starting to see that in the play of the guys which is wonderful to see, and it’s at the right time of the season.”

Homler’s goal marks his fourth score in the last five matches. The graduate student has found his form just in time for the playoffs after a slower start to the season. This scoring streak has brought Homler to the top of Binghamton’s scoring charts, tied for first with Touroukis at four apiece.

“Yeah, I was struggling during the beginning of the season,” Homler said. “But, during training sessions, I’d stay after and work on my finishing. It was honestly only a matter of time before I got that first goal and the floodgates opened and more was to come.”

BU will now look to face its first opportunity at a playoff push since 2019, when it was knocked out by Hartford in the AE quarterfinals. The Bearcats are set to play a familiar foe as UMBC earned the fourth seed following the final match of the regular season.

“It was great,” Coles said. “We came out flying today. It was really good to win this game now going into Saturday with so much momentum, so much energy. We’re going to have a couple players back that weren’t able to play, and I’m really excited.”

Binghamton’s playoff run in the 2022 AE Tournament begins on Saturday, Nov. 5, with a rematch against UMBC. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Retriever Soccer Park in Baltimore, Maryland.

BU (1-6-3, 0-1-1 AE) was held to one shot in the first half by the Highlanders’ (3-3-4, 0-0-2 AE) suffocating defense. Senior goalkeeper Mats Roorda started between the pipes for the Bearcats, stopping all three of NJIT’s shots on goal, and coming away with a clean sheet after 90 minutes of play. On the offensive side, the Bearcats managed nine shots total with one shot on goal apiece by junior midfielders Shawn Coles and Markos Touroukis, graduate student forward Ethan Homler and redshirt junior midfielder Anthony Lazaridis. However, BU was unable to find the back of the net, ending the match scoreless for the seventh time this season.

In the first half, the Bearcats mustered just one shot coming from senior back Michael Bush, whose attempt flared out right. On the defensive end, BU was outshot 11-1 in the first half, but still managed to keep the game scoreless. Binghamton came out with a different plan in the second half and flipped the switch, beating NJIT in shots eight-to-seven.

“We made a couple of slight adjustments, moved some faces around and brought a new player in,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “I think that helped us a little bit. We talked about how we were going to solve some of the things where they were getting on the ball, and I think we negated that a bit better than in the first half.”

Roorda recorded his second solo shutout of the season, totaling three saves. His previous one was against Canisius two weeks prior. Roorda is now fourth in the conference in average goals against, with 1.18 goals allowed per game in seven starts.

“I thought [Roorda] has been terrific the last few games,” Marco said. “He had to make a pretty good save on a set piece in the second half, and he dealt with that [with] no issues. I [also] thought that his game management was excellent and his communication [with] the guys was very good.”

After multiple chances throughout the course of the 90 minutes, Lazaridis had an opportunity to put the Bearcats ahead in the closing seconds of the game. Bush launched the ball above his ahead from the sideline while the ball found the Lazaridis in the 18-yard-box. The redshirt junior attempted a shot that was headed toward bottom center, but his chance was squandered by the Highlander defense with a sliding save as time expired.

“I think one of the things we wanted to improve in was our competitive spirit and competing,” Marco said. “I felt like we were really good at that today … We’ll go to Bucknell on Tuesday with [five] goals in mind — play well, perform well, compete hard and get a lot of guys minutes in the game. [Also] make sure that we put our best first forward.”

This tie is the third of the year for BU and marks the second-consecutive game where the Bearcats walked out without a loss. Since starting 0-4, BU is 1-2-2 since Sept. 9. With Saturday’s tie, Binghamton recorded its first point in conference play, putting them tied at fifth in the America East with five conference matches left.

BU returns to action against Bucknell on Tuesday, Oct. 4. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.