Despite maintaining a scoreless draw deep into the second half, the Bearcats went down to 10 men in the 72nd minute and could not hold on, surrendering a score soon after as they suffered their fourth consecutive defeat.

“So out of the back four, three of them had to get replaced, and those are just some difficult things,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “I think the red card obviously hurts us because now we have to change how we’re playing.”

Binghamton (4-8-0, 0-2 AE) was hot out of the gate, as a deep ball from senior back Rio Onwumere to sophomore forward D.T. Megliola almost led to an open goal opportunity in UMass Lowell’s (6-4-1, 1-1 AE) box in the third minute. The Bearcats continued to push down the field, and in the ninth minute, a shot inside the box from junior midfielder Alex Balkey nearly found twine.

The Bearcats continued to apply pressure to the River Hawks’ back line as Randazzo attempted a header from the edge of the six-yard box in the 11th minute. The River Hawks saw their first chances of the game at the 15-minute mark, when they rattled off a pair of shot attempts, the second of which was handily saved by senior goalkeeper Jack Root.

“The one great thing that has come is they’ve been executing the game plan,” Marco said. “They’ve been trying to stick with how we want them to play. We were more direct in this last game, and I think you’ll see that the rest of the way.”

Both squads struggled to create chances as the first half continued to progress, with neither squad registering a shot until the 31st minute, when Randazzo had a shot fly over the net. A minute later, Binghamton’s back line was put to the test as UMass Lowell attempted four shots over six minutes.

However, two of the River Hawks’ shots went out wide, and the other two were scooped up by Root. The foes went into the half deadlocked.

“We have good chances in front of goal, and they go wider over,” Marco said. “I don’t think it’s any one thing. I mean, they’re certainly different in training. I think maybe losing kind of breeds losing — you think you can’t do things, rather than thinking that you can.”

UMass Lowell opened the second half with a near score in the 48th, as a ball played into Binghamton’s box was skied on the shot attempt. The Bearcats responded with a near score of their own when a shot from Randazzo inside the box flew over the net in the 51st.

Both squads continued to search for the match’s opening score. The Bearcats attempted three shots and the River Hawks went for two, but none were on target as the stalemate persisted into the 71st minute.

After picking up a yellow card in the 66th minute to prevent a River Hawk’s transition attack, Randazzo was given his second of the match in the 72nd minute. Binghamton was forced to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.

“[Randazzo’s] first yellow card, I think he has to take that,” Marco said. “It’s a good tactical foul right at the halfway line. But then the second one is, I mean, I can’t even understand it. You know, you’re on a yellow, you can’t go reaching for things.”

Following the red card, Binghamton continued to search for a score, attempting several counterattacks. UMass Lowell, however, capitalized on Binghamton’s aggressiveness with a counterattack of its own, rapidly progressing down the pitch and finding the lone score of the match in the 81st minute.

Despite their best efforts, the Bearcats were held out of the net for the remainder of play, as they fell to the River Hawks 1-0.

“The way that they scored the goal on a counter off of our throw-in is really disappointing,” Marco said. “So it was difficult, but I did think we did pretty well [defending] in the game.”

The Bearcats will look to get back on track when they host NJIT on Saturday, Oct. 11. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

A goal late in the first half saw the Bearcats take a 1-0 lead, but a score from the reigning AE champions, Maine, tied the match with nine minutes left in play. Binghamton, however, found the game-winning score just two minutes later, building its undefeated streak to nine.

“Ecstatic with the win, ecstatic to be sitting at 3-0 and one,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “At this point, halfway through the conference season in first place. So it’s a great spot for us to be, but we’ve got to make sure that we keep up that quality over the course of the full 90 minutes.”

Binghamton (8-1-3, 3-0-1 AE) wasted no time working its way down the field, as junior midfielder/forward Paige Luke ripped a shot from the edge of the box in the third minute of the match. Eager to create its own pressure, Maine (2-5-2, 1-1-1 AE) strung together a pair of attacks, each resulting in an unsuccessful shot.

The Bearcats continued to drive balls into the opposing third, as sophomore forward Jahkaya Davis rattled off her first shot of the night in the 10th minute. Another shot courtesy of sophomore forward Alexus Worrell bounced off Maine’s post in the 16th.

“We had the first opening, I’d say 25 minutes,” Bhattacharjee said. “I thought we were on top of our opponent today, hit the post, had some good chances.”

A series of early substitutions revitalized the Black Bears, as they took five shots over 12 minutes and prevented the Bearcats from any attempts. Looking to regain control, BU created a corner kick opportunity in the 40th minute, which was taken by freshman midfielder Sydney Krempasky, who worked her way into the box after her cross. She found the ball once more, burying it in the top left corner for the Bearcat lead.

Neither squad registered a shot for the remainder of the period as the Bearcats went into halftime up a score.

“As a six, I don’t have that many chances up by the goal, so I crossed the ball and I ran in and it fell at my foot, so I was like, ‘Let me just take the shot in,’” Krempasky said. “And luckily it went in, so it was great.”

Looking to find their first score of the game, the Black Bears utilized a higher press and aggressive play down the pitch, but several key moves from Binghamton’s back line prevented Maine from registering any shots in the opening minutes of the half. Seeking an insurance goal, Binghamton continued pressuring the Black Bears’ net, with Luke and Krempasky each rattling off a shot, but both attempts missed wide.

“I thought, for the most part, we were able to limit the danger,” Bhattacharjee said. “There are a couple of transition moments that Maine had that perhaps they got it in midfield, but we were able to take care of it once we got into protecting our defensive third.”

After a fast break that saw Maine progress into Binghamton’s box, the Black Bears forced a corner kick, and on the ensuing delivery, they found a score to tie the game at 1-1. Binghamton, however, refused to surrender any momentum following the score, as Luke found Davis on a deep through ball, and Davis worked her way into the box and blasted a shot past the Black Bears’ goalkeeper.

The Bearcats immediately shifted into a more defensive formation, repeatedly clearing the ball out of play, as they prevented Maine from attempting another shot in the match, holding on for the victory. The Bearcats’ win saw them improve their unbeaten streak to a program-record nine games.

“It definitely says we’re a very gritty team, and we’re always looking to be first place, get the three points,” Davis said.

The Bearcats look to cement a program-first 10-game unbeaten streak when they take on UMass Lowell on Sunday, Oct. 12. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Cushing Field Complex in Lowell, Massachusetts.

“I thought our strikers weren’t very good today, in build-up play, in possession, holding the ball,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “We played balls in the first part of the game and we were losing most of them.”

The Wildcats (3-4-3, 1-0-0 AE) nearly opened their scoring book in the fourth minute of play, with a header attempt bouncing off the post. Just three minutes later, Binghamton (4-6-0, 0-1-0 AE) created a chance of its own, as junior forward Anthony Randazzo attempted a shot during a one-on-one opportunity that went into the gloves of the opposing keeper.

Maintaining its offensive pressure, a UNH header from inside the box flew just over Binghamton’s net in the ninth minute, maintaining the deadlock.

Both offenses began stalling by the ninth minute, with the two squads making just three shots total. Re-energized by a trifecta of substitutions, a deep-through ball from redshirt freshman back Ryan Conti made its way to a breaking junior forward/midfielder Marcus Nahim, who slotted it past the UNH keeper for a Binghamton score. Despite four shot attempts in the closing minutes of the period by the Wildcats, the Bearcats entered the half with their 1-0 lead intact.

“I thought that [Nahim’s] pace was going to give them an issue,” Marco said. “And it clearly did, that’s how we got the goal.”

After nearly 10 minutes of scoreless play to open the second half, the Bearcats took advantage of commotion in the attacking third as sophomore forward D.T. Megliola headed the ball toward Randazzo, who gave BU a 2-0 lead with his third score in three games. Seconds after the score, a UNH fast break saw them rattle off an attempt that was handily saved by graduate student goalkeeper Daniel Shannon.

“I think that if I had to give any piece of advice to the group right now, [on Bryant’s goal-scoring plays], there are moments that each of them knows they could have been a little bit sharper, a little bit better, had a better starting position,” Marco said.

With only 13 minutes remaining in the match, the Wildcats found their first score of the night, stoking the flames of a comeback in the process. UNH continued to aggressively drive down the pitch, forcing three consecutive corner attempts and shutting down BU’s progression through the midfield.

The Bearcats’ hopes for a win were shattered in the 87th minute, as UNH would score once to even the match, before following up with another score to take a 3-2 lead. The Bearcats created a pair of chances in the final two minutes of play, but they could not find twine, falling 0-1 in AE play.

“I mean, we’re winning the game 2-0,” Marco said. “We shouldn’t have lost the game. The guys have to have a look in the mirror and see. They compete hard, and then there’s competing to win, and that’s where we don’t have it right yet.”

Binghamton will return to nonconference play when it hosts Cornell on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

“Gutted, just disappointed that we don’t get at least a point in the game,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “We did well enough tonight to at least get a point. A very good goal, but two defensive errors leading into the goal, so that’s disappointing.”

Both Binghamton (3-4-0) and Iona (2-1-2) struggled to create offensive opportunities to open the match, with both squads failing to register a shot in the first 17 minutes of play. The Bearcats registered first on the stat sheet when sophomore forward D.T. Megliola found a breakaway opportunity, nearly resulting in a one-on-one with the opposing keeper. However, the Gael’s backline crashed in, forcing a saved shot.

The foes continued to search for each other’s nets, but no additional shots were registered by the 31st minute.

“Pretty pleased with how we played, I thought we started the game terrific and then as the game went on, we got a little tired,” Marco said. “I felt like, maybe with 12 minutes left in the first half, they started to get a hold of the game.”

Following a corner kick awarded in the 32nd minute, Iona attempted its first shot of the game. Just three minutes later, on a counterattack, a blast from the Gaels narrowly missed the corner of Binghamton’s net.

Binghamton had a near-score of its own in the 40th, when a crossing corner kick found senior midfielder Calvin Moe, who headed the ball inches over the net. Neither squad registered a shot attempt for the remainder of play as the Bearcats entered halftime looking to break the deadlock.

“I thought we were decent when we lost the ball,” Marco said. “In the first half, I thought there were just a couple of individual players who could have been in better starting positions, but I felt like overall, we were pretty good in transition to press the ball.”

Coming out of the half with an aggressive press, Binghamton gained possession and forced a free kick on the outskirts of Iona’s box, after which junior forward Anthony Randazzo attempted a bicycle kick that flew over the opposing net. In the 63rd minute, following a scramble in Iona’s box, the Bearcats nearly scored once more off an attempt from junior midfielder Alex Balkey, but his shot was saved.

In the 72nd minute, Binghamton lost possession in its own backfield, allowing Iona to get on the scoreboard.

“We don’t collect on our end,” Marco said. “I mean, there are a lot of balls that we should have put in that goal, both in the first half and the second half. So, just disappointed with the outcome.”

Iona continued to control play following its score, but momentum began to shift in the Bearcats’ favor in the 76th minute. Junior forward Kevaughn Harris began an offensive onslaught with a shot on goal, and soon after, Moe saw his second shot of the night saved by the Gael’s keeper.

Binghamton continued to search for twine with a final shot from graduate student midfielder Simon Knuewe in the 87th minute, but the Bearcats failed to score as they fell 1-0 to Iona.

“I don’t think our strikers were sharp today,” Marco said. “We’ll go back and see how we prepared them a little bit. I don’t think they had the mentality and hunger to go get goals. I thought they could have been a little smarter with their movements.”

Binghamton will continue its 2025 season against Central Connecticut State on Saturday, Sept. 20. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at the Central Connecticut Soccer Field in New Britain, Connecticut.

“We had high-caliber associate head coaches and assistant coaches throughout the country, but during these conversations, as we looked at our guiding principles on the search, [LeBlanc’s] name kept coming to the top,” said Dennis Kalina, the University’s senior deputy director of athletics. “He was going to be the person that could really advance our program.”

During LeBlanc’s tenure at The Citadel, the Bulldogs reached newfound success in duels with 41 dual victories in five years, including a program-record 14 in 2023-24. In conference play, the Bulldogs secured 22 of their dual victories, while in the postseason, The Citadel won five individual SoCon championships. Three of these championship wins came in the 2025 season, where the Bulldogs placed second in the SoCon tournament.

The Bulldogs reached significant achievements on and off the mat under LeBlanc, with several academic accomplishments. Throughout his tenure, The Citadel produced 15 NWCA Scholar All-Americans, while also qualifying as a NWCA Scholar All-American Team twice, in 2024 and 2025. In 2024, his cadet athletes finished 25th in the nation in team GPA at 3.361, before rising to 13th in 2025 with a team GPA of 3.531.

“I think that we’re going to be rooted in values, and our kids are going to wrestle really hard,” LeBlanc said. “When you wrestle a kid from Binghamton, no matter whether we’re winning or losing, I want people to walk off the mat and know they were in a fight.”

Before taking over as head coach at The Citadel, LeBlanc worked as an assistant coach at Appalachian State from 2016 to 2020. At Appalachian State, LeBlanc worked under four-time national coach of the year finalist, head coach JohnMark Bentley.

LeBlanc helped the Mountaineers to three regular-season SoCon Championships and qualified 10 wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament.

“I’ve got nothing but respect for [Bentley],” LeBlanc said. “I’m still friends with him, and he shaped a lot of the way I look at the sport and some of the things I do, from an organization standpoint, from an effective management standpoint, a lot of things.”

LeBlanc looks to hit the ground running, building off a 2024-2025 season in which Binghamton went 10-9 while picking up its fifth individual Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championship, courtesy of former competitor and current assistant coach Brevin Cassella.

“I can’t wait,” LeBlanc said. “I can’t wait to see what the atmosphere is and build an atmosphere that our alumni are proud of and that our kids are excited to wrestle. I think that’s going to be one of the keys for us to be really successful.”

Binghamton (3-3-0) opened its outing with a match against host Colgate (3-1-1) on Thursday. In a game where unsavory weather limited offensive production, redshirt junior midfielder Gaven Egan quickly appeared on the stat sheet, recording the first two shots on goal of the match by the 13th minute.

The Raiders responded with a pair of attempts of their own, both of which were handily recovered by graduate student goalkeeper Daniel Shannon. The match remained scoreless as the first period drew to a close.

The Bearcats controlled possession throughout the second half while restricting Colgate to zero shot attempts, but they also struggled to create offensive threats, registering just three shots by the 80th minute.

Binghamton’s luck soured in the 83rd minute when the Raiders were awarded a penalty. After missing the penalty kick, the team scored on a rebound, bringing the score to 0-1. Eager to even the score, BU rattled off five shots in the final six minutes, including an attempt that bounced off the top post, but they could not find the game tying score.

Hoping to get back in the win column, Binghamton traveled to take on host Le Moyne (1-4-0) on Sunday. Le Moyne was quick to open its scoring book, seizing the lead on the first goal of the game in the fifth minute.

Searching for its own first score, BU applied consistent pressure in the first half, attempting six shots. However, the Bearcats were blanked as they entered the second period down a goal.

In the 65th minute, sophomore forward D.T. Megliola found junior forward Kevaughn Harris in front of an open net, and he slotted the ball in to put the Bearcats on the board. Just two minutes later, junior forward Anthony Randazzo found twine on a penalty, giving BU its first lead of the match.

Less than a minute later, Randazzo aimed to put the Dolphins out of reach when he notched a brace, giving the Bearcats a 3-1 lead. Le Moyne managed one last score in the 83rd minute, but BU held on for its third victory of the season.

Binghamton will continue its nonconference slate, hosting Iona this Saturday, Sept. 13. Kickoff is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

Binghamton (1-6) opened the invitational on Friday night, defeating Rider (1-4) in three sets — 25-23, 25-16 and 25-17 — to earn its first victory of the campaign. The Bearcats held Rider to a mere .104 hitting percentage, and their victory was marked by significant scoring runs, going on 13-4 and 10-2 runs to end the second and third sets.

“Momentum is everything in this sport, so to have the momentum at the end of a set is crucial,” wrote Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “We played error free during those final pushes at the end, which is always our goal once we hit point 20.”

On Saturday, the Bearcats took on Hofstra (4-0) in a rematch of their Aug. 31 duel at the Events Center, in which BU fell to the Pride in four sets. BU narrowly dropped the first two sets 25-23 and 25-22. Facing a 22-20 deficit and a second potential sweep loss to Hofstra in the third set, the Bearcats scored five straight to claim the set 25-22.

Despite entering the fourth set with newfound momentum, the Bearcats fell 25-19, dropping their first match of the invitational. After a strong first set in which the Bearcats hit .342 percent, they were unable to break .200 percent in the final three sets.

“We were a lot fresher this second time around with Hofstra,” Yaeger wrote. “That’s a very good and experienced Hofstra team and I’m happy that we were competitive. We are just doing our best to make changes when needed. We are a young, new squad that is deep, so it’s important to see early in the season who can get the job done.”

Closing out the invitational on Sunday, the Bearcats faced off against Army (4-2), falling in four sets. In the first set, BU held a 23-19 lead before surrendering a 6-0 run to lose the set. The Bearcats surrendered a 14-8 run to the Black Knights that tied the second set at 25-25, and brought it back to close out the set with a 27-25 win.

Holding a 22-19 lead, BU allowed a 6-1 run as they lost the third set 25-23. An 8-1 run from the Bearcats, propelled by two kills from senior outside hitter Merima Smajlovic, cemented a 10-4 lead early in the fourth set. Army, however, went on to win 15 of the following 23 points, taking a 19-18 lead that it did not relinquish as the Bearcats dropped the fourth and final set 25-21.

Leading BU’s offense over the weekend was Smajlovic, with at least 14 kills in each game, amassing a team-high 43 kills over three games. Freshman right side hitter Maya Coblentz-Brown made her presence known for Binghamton with a career-high 21 kills against Army, while also accumulating 39 kills in three games.

“[Smajlovic] and [Coblentz-Brown] were outstanding this weekend,” Yaeger wrote. “They are both really starting to adapt to our offense and defense. [Smajlovic] brings such great leadership and experience, while I am just as pleased with [Coblentz-Brown] and her immediate impact she has had with us.”

Binghamton looks to grow its win count when it hosts the three-match Binghamton Invitational this weekend, where it will first take on Mercyhurst on Friday, Sept. 12. First serve is set for 10 a.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

Binghamton (0-2-0) began its season with a trip to Boston College (1-0-0) on Thursday night. Sophomore goalkeeper Connor Cresswell quickly got to work, saving a close-range shot in the second minute. BU saw its first shot of the game come in the 19th minute, but the attempt went wide as the match remained scoreless.

The Eagles were first to strike, taking a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute, as BU failed to register a shot attempt through the rest of the first half.

“There are a couple of guys that are giving guys way too much space on the field,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “Once we sort that out, I think the game will be tighter for us. It was better against Boston College than it was [against George Washington].”

Eager to even the score, the Bearcats continued to apply pressure to open the second half. Still, they struggled to create threatening offensive opportunities, attempting only two shots through the 84th minute.

BU nearly found twine in the 85th minute when sophomore forward D.T. Megliola blasted a volley from the center of the box, but a diving save kept the Bearcats off the scoreboard as they suffered their first defeat of the season.

“I thought that we grew into the game,” Marco said. “We finished the game on a better note than we did starting the game, so that was really good. We got better as the game went on.”

Looking to rebound from a close loss in its opener, Binghamton traveled to Washington, D.C. to take on George Washington (1-1-0) on Sunday. The Bearcats nearly found themselves trailing in the third minute when a Revolutionaries shot rattled off the left post, but GWU still scored its opening goal just six minutes later.

The Bearcats created a slew of offensive opportunities, attempting eight shots and six corners, but they were held scoreless as they entered the half facing a 1-0 deficit once more.

The Bearcats’ misfortune continued in the second half when a strike in the 59th minute gave GWU a commanding 2-0 lead. BU finally got on the scoreboard in the 75th minute when sophomore back Ryan Gillon tapped the ball toward junior midfielder Alex Balkey, who slid in, blasting a g into the back of the net. The Bearcats’ comeback was short-lived, however, as the revolutionaries responded with a score of their own in the 76th minute, cementing a 3-1 loss for BU.

“Today, we literally shot ourselves in the foot,” Marco said. “We were on top of the game pretty much the entire second half, and we give a ball to them twice, behind our back line, that they go in on the goalkeeper by themselves.”

Binghamton looks to secure its first win of the 2025 campaign in its home opener this Thursday, Aug. 28, against Mount St. Mary’s. Kickoff is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

Following a significant investment into the project by Visions Federal Credit Union, the new facility will be named the Visions Federal Credit Union Track & Field Facility. Additional funding for the project was provided by New York state and Binghamton University’s divisions of student affairs and athletics.

“Binghamton is committed to providing its student-athletes and fans with the very best facilities in the America East,” President Harvey Stenger said in a statement to bubearcats.com. “We have a proud tradition of developing athletes who go on to compete at the national and international level, and the renovations to the track-and-field complex will further the University’s reputation as a leader in intercollegiate athletics.”

The improvements to the facility, which had not seen a major update in the 30 years since its opening, will help the stadium to meet current NCAA Division I standards for track and field facilities. Expected updates include replacing the track, overhauling the long jump, triple jump and pole vault area and a variety of general upgrades to the facility, including updated lighting, stands, safety features and a new scoreboard.

“Men’s and women’s track-and-field teams make up Binghamton’s largest NCAA Division I cohort, with approximately 100 student-athletes,” Director of Athletics Eugene Marshall Jr. said in a statement to bubearcats.com. “The upgrades will aid Binghamton in recruiting top athletes who combine their passion for sports with a desire for an exceptional education. And, with the majority of track-and-field student-athletes being in-state recruits, the economic and community impact is significant when their families and friends attend meets.”

The new facility is part of a campus-wide construction project aimed at improving the school’s resources for the entire student body. Work on the facility is set to begin in spring 2026.

“Overall, [I’m] pretty pleased with the performance,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee about Thursday’s game. “I thought the pressure on the ball, different areas of the field, was pretty good. Scored a couple of good goals.”

Binghamton (2-1-0) began its week with a home opener against St. Bonaventure (0-1-1) on Thursday afternoon. BU quickly got on the board after gaining possession in the opposing box before sophomore forward Jahkaya Davis buried the ball in the top left corner.

The Bearcats continued to dictate the pace of play and control possession, while hounding the Bonnies’ net as six different Bearcats registered shot attempts by the 26th minute. Binghamton continued its domination through the remainder of the first half play as the Bearcats held a 10-0 shot advantage entering the second half.

“[Shot selection] is something that we talked about at halftime, and so I think we can take our chances a little bit better,” Bhattacharjee said. “And the other thing too, especially in the first half, we were just settling for low percentage shots, things from 30, 35 yards out where we really weren’t under pressure. We could just keep the ball, knock it and then just continue to play good soccer.”

Picking up where they left off in the first half, the Bearcats attacked St. Bonaventure’s net with three unanswered shots. In the 57th minute, Davis found herself controlling the ball as she approached the final third of the field, and she embarked on a 50-yard run, dribbling past several Bonnies before slotting it in the back of the net for her second career brace.

St. Bonaventure opened its scoring book in the 73rd minute. While the Bonnies continued to search for their equalizer, the Bearcats held them to just one shot through the remainder of play for a second consecutive victory.

“When I play, I try not to think, so I just go with the flow,” Davis said regarding her second goal on Thursday. “I heard one of my coaches say, ‘Really go at her,’ so that’s what I did, and it ended up in the net.”

Sunday’s contest saw the Bearcats take on Monmouth (2-2-0), and they once again opened the match with significant offensive pressure, rattling off three consecutive shot attempts between the fifth and sixth minute of play. BU continued to attack the Hawks’ net when junior midfield/forward Paige Luke nearly found twine in the 15th minute.

The teams continued to search for the opening score throughout the first half, but neither squad was successful as the Bearcats entered the second half losing the shot battle 8-6.

“In many facets we can be pleased with the effort today,” Bhattacharjee told bubearcats.com. “But of course ultimately we are disappointed with the result. We have a lot of respect for Monmouth as they’re perennially one of the top teams in the region. They had stretches of the game and we had stretches as well.”

The Bearcats opened the second half with a barrage of attempts, registering five shots on goal while blanking the Hawks through the 65th minute. Monmouth soon responded with a flurry of its own, rattling off three unanswered shot attempts before the fourth attempt found twine, breaking the deadlock in the 70th minute. The Hawks scored once more in the 78th minute as the Bearcats stared down the barrel of a 2-0 deficit.

The Bearcats attempted to build back some momentum, and they nearly scored in the 82nd minute when a shot from Davis bounced off the woodwork. Ultimately, they were held scoreless for the rest of the game, suffering their first defeat of the season.

Binghamton will continue its road trip with a matchup against Marist on Thursday, Aug. 28, as it looks to bounce back from the first loss of the season. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at the Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field in Poughkeepsie, New York.

In addition to the $22 million donation, Binghamton will also receive $11 million through the SUNY University Center Endowment Match program, which approved up to $500 million in state funds to match 50 percent of private donations to the endowments of SUNY Albany, Binghamton, Stony Brook and the University at Buffalo from 2023 to 2026.

Previously, Binghamton received $18.75 million in funding through the Endowment Match program to help establish the Binghamton Achievement Scholarship, which began during the 2023-24 academic year and provides 25 scholarships to incoming freshmen per year. The $33 million gift marked Binghamton Athletics’ second multi-million dollar anonymous donation this decade, after receiving $60 million to construct the Bearcats Baseball Complex in 2020.

A settlement composed of three class action lawsuits against the NCAA, known as the “House settlement,” was signed by a judge in June. Under the settlement, which began enforcement on July 1, approximately $2.78 billion in back pay for athletes will be paid by the NCAA over 10 years.

In the wake of the settlement, BU’s athletics department faced a shifting college athletics landscape, including an estimated $310,000 withholding from its annual budget to cover damages, a new revenue-sharing system established by the NCAA and lifting restrictions on athletic scholarships and roster construction. The settlement calls for roster limits that will eventually translate to full scholarship eligibility for all student athletes in NCAA Division I.

The $33 million endowment will create the equivalent of 40 full athletic scholarships, which will be equally divided between men’s and women’s sports. As Binghamton elected not to opt in to the new NCAA revenue-sharing scholarship model, the 40 scholarships will help bring a majority of Bearcat programs to their current NCAA maximum scholarship level.

Headlining the incoming freshman class is Binghamton’s third-highest rated recruit in program history, freshman guard Jayden Kelsey. He was ranked a three-star recruit by 247sports.com after averaging 10 points per game as a junior at Westtown School in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The final freshman commit is freshman guard Jake Blackburn, who ranked the 49th recruit in New England by newenglandrecruitingreport.com.

BU’s class also includes four transfers from Division I NCAA Programs. Senior center Demetrius Lilley joins the Bearcats from La Salle, where he averaged 7.7 points per game and 5.8 rebounds in his junior year. A former three-star recruit rated by rivals.com, junior guard Jeremiah Quigley will look to rebound from an off year at George Mason, where he scored just 1.2 points per game, and replicate his freshman season at Iona, where he averaged 10.8 points.

Junior guard Bryson Wilson joins BU after averaging 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game during his sophomore campaign at Buffalo. Rounding off the Division I transfers is redshirt freshman guard Nevin Ibroci, transferring from Oral Roberts.

Three transfers from NCAA Division II joined Binghamton’s incoming class. Transferring from Fort Valley State is forward Sayerr Senghore, who scored 13.1 points per game while shooting 57 percent from the field in his 19 appearances during the 2024-2025 season. Junior guard Ryan Richardson joins Binghamton after a single season at NJCAA Missouri State-West Plains, where he averaged 11 points and a team-leading three assists per game. Rounding out Binghamton’s incoming class is junior forward Zyier Beverly, who averaged 10.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game at NJCAA East Los Angeles College during its 2024-2025 season, ending the season 27-3.

Binghamton’s incoming class looks to build off a 2024-2025 campaign in which BU went 15-17.

“I thought that when we got moments where we could be able to pressure Lehigh and do it with effective and organized stuff first, it really made them uncomfortable and led us in our attack in transition,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “But there were times during the course of the game when we let off a little bit, especially in the second half of the first half.”

Binghamton (1-0-0) quickly established its lead when junior midfield/forward Paige Luke, playing in her first match back since a season-ending injury in 2024, blasted a shot into the top corner in the first attempt of the game. Lehigh (0-2-0) attempted to apply pressure to Binghamton’s back line, but the Mountain Hawks were unable to mount a significant offensive attack.

A scramble in the 25th minute of play saw Binghamton almost double its scoring tally, rattling off four shot attempts that did not find twine. BU’s favor appeared to persist in the 32nd minute when Lehigh failed to convert a penalty kick opportunity, but the Mountain Hawks pounced on the rebound to even the score. The Bearcats’ offense continued to push the field, creating several threatening chances, but both squads were unable to register a shot on goal for the remainder of the first half of play.

“I’m sure you saw today, [Luke] just covers so much ground and does so much work,” Bhattacharjee said. “How she presses, how she takes people one v. one like she did on the goal in the early part of the game today. She does so much to progress the team.”

On a day when 19 BU players saw the field, the Bearcats substituted seven starters back onto the field to start the second half of play. The offense quickly got to work when a foul against sophomore forward Jahkaya Davis awarded them a penalty kick opportunity. After a missed attempt from junior defense/forward Megan Baker, sophomore forward Alexus Worrell jumped on the rebound and buried the ball in the back of the net as BU snatched back the lead.

“I thought [Worrell] had a pretty good game overall,” Bhattacharjee said. “Consistent good amount of work rate, she’s a strong physical presence up top, was able to follow the penalty kick to score the game-winning goal for us. She’s someone that had a little bit of health concerns her freshman year that was able to limit her impact on the field, but she’s coming off a really good spring and had a good preseason.”

Binghamton almost grew its lead to two in the 53rd minute when a shot by Baker rattled off the top post. Despite only holding a one-goal lead, the Bearcats’ back line dictated play throughout the remainder of the match, holding Lehigh to just two shots on goal throughout the entire second half as they picked up their first victory of the 2025 campaign.

“Probably on the day we were good enough to score a third, potentially a fourth goal,” Bhattacharjee said. “At the end of the day, we’re happy with the result and we’ll move on from here and get ready for St. Bonaventure on Thursday.”

Binghamton will continue its season with its home opener this Thursday, Aug. 21, against St. Bonaventure. Kickoff is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

Following a 2024 season in which he lost five weeks of the season from an injury, Rogacki had a standout 2025 campaign, earning America East all-conference honors. Starting in all 55 games for the Bearcats, he saw action primarily at catcher, while also appearing as a DH and outfielder. His 2025 season saw him lead the AE in doubles and sacrifice bunts with 17 and 11, respectively.

“I’m so happy for [Rogacki] to get this opportunity to chase his dream of playing professional baseball … and he deserves it,” Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki told bubearcats.com. “[Rogacki] has proven himself to be a tireless worker and outstanding competitor who will represent the Rockies with class and integrity no matter what is asked of him.”

Rogacki was instrumental in Binghamton’s AE championship campaign, securing eight hits and six RBI for the No. 3 seed Bearcats’ upset against No. 1 seed Bryant. He was also awarded the AE Elite 18 Award for receiving a 3.75 GPA. After transferring from NCAA Division III Alvernia following his sophomore season, Rogacki hit .346 and amassed 100 hits in two years as a Bearcat.

Binghamton’s highest drafted position player in 35 years, Rogacki follows Nick Roselli ‘24, the second baseman who was drafted to the New York Mets last year.

This is a developing story, and it will be updated.

A Broome County native, Bump’s path to becoming Binghamton Softball’s head coach began in 2011 with her freshman year as a student athlete on the Binghamton softball team. During her four-year playing career, Bump was named to two first-team America East teams and one Eastern College Athletic Conference first-team.

Within a year of graduating, she became a graduate assistant coach on a Kentucky squad that qualified for the NCAA Super Regionals. The following year, Bump worked as the top assistant softball coach at Lafayette, during which Lafayette broke the program record for fielding percentage.
With two years of Division I coaching experience under her belt, Bump returned to Binghamton in 2017, where she was Binghamton’s top assistant softball coach. In August 2021, she was named the program’s head coach.
After improving the Bearcats’ AE record from 6-11 to 7-8 during her first year under tenure, the program made large strides in 2023, finishing 13-7 in AE play. Bump oversaw the program’s best finish under her leadership in 2024 with a 14–6 AE record, while capturing a share of the America East regular season championship before falling short in the playoffs.

While Binghamton opened the 2025 season with a 14-9 record in non-conference play, the Bearcats got off to an unassuming 3-2 start in conference play. BU, however, executed a nearly spotless second half of the season, finishing with a 13-0 record in AE play and a 3-1 record in non-conference play.

The Bearcats continued to dominate during the AE playoffs, winning all three matches while outscoring opponents 16-4 and capturing the program’s second-ever AE Championship to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Binghamton’s historic year saw Bump earn her second consecutive AE softball Coach of the Year, also being named the ECAC Softball Coach of the Year.

Binghamton’s presence in the AE awards would not stop with Bump, as the Bearcats swept the major awards: sophomore infielder Elisa Allen as Player of the Year; junior pitcher Brianna Roberts as Pitcher of the Year; and freshman infielder Rachel Carey as Rookie of the Year. At the Division I level, Allen and junior catcher Emma Lawson ranked highly — Allen finished fourth in the country with 0.46 home runs per game and Lawson finished No. 11 in sacrifice flies with six.

BU also saw recognition nationally, finishing the year ranked No. 17 in the D1Softball.com Mid-Major Poll and No. 77 in Division I RPI. Binghamton also finished No. 20 in the nation with 1.36 home runs per game and No. 33 with a 2.80 team ERA. Its 68 home runs were good for first in program history and its .720 winning percentage and 36 wins were first and second-best, respectively.

Binghamton earned the No. 3 seed in the four-team, double-elimination Oregon regionals, but BU struggled at times during the event, dropping its first match against No. 16 nationally ranked Stanford 9-2 and being eliminated by Weber State in a close 7-4 battle. Despite not winning a game at the NCAA Tournament, an appearance this early in Bump’s coaching career displays that BU softball is a presence on the national stage, and we look forward to following Bump as she continues to build the program.

As a true freshman in 2024, Allen started 33 games and appeared in 39, slugging seven home runs and 23 RBIs and sporting a .545 slugging percentage. Allen’s 2024 campaign earned her a nod on the AE All-Rookie Team, and despite her strong rookie campaign, Allen’s game saw even more improvements this year.

Allen told Pipe Dream about her growth in the 2025 season.

“Honestly, just the mental game,” Allen said. “I think I became more confident in myself, and honestly, that was the biggest change, and I started to trust the coaches more and communicate with them more, which also led to a lot more jumps.”
Allen led the AE with 23 home runs, 56 RBIs, a 1.298 OPS and an .852 slugging percentage. Her 23 home runs accounted for the second most in a season in the AE and the Binghamton program record, and her 56 RBIs in a season ranked fourth in AE history and first in BU program history. Sporting 0.46 home runs per game, Allen ranked fifth in the country, while her .852 slugging percentage placed 26th in the nation.

“It’s been great, honestly,” Allen said. “All the girls are so welcoming, the coaches are awesome in themselves and it’s just such a good environment to work in, and obviously the academics are really good. So, all around it’s been a great few years there and I’m so excited to be staying there for another few more years.”

Allen’s 2025 campaign saw her earn three AE Player of the Week nods and be named first-team all-conference and the AE Player of the Year. Allen also saw recognition outside the conference, being selected to the NFCA All-Northeast Region third-team.

After starting in all 45 regular season games for the Bearcats, including a 5-for-7 four home run performance in a doubleheader at Maine and a four home run and 12 RBI performance in a doubleheader at Colgate, Allen led the Bearcats to a victory in the opening match of the AE conference tournament after slugging a game-tying home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Although she was held hitless through the rest of the tournament, Allen would continue to get on base in the NCAA tournament, securing a walk and HBP against No. 2 Stanford and a single in BU’s season-ending loss at No. 4 Weber State.

“[The NCAA Tournament] was the coolest thing ever,” Allen said. “I think we were all starstruck being there. Honestly, we figured out we could really compete with the best teams in the nation at that point, and it was just so cool to be there.”

On the heels of being named the AE Softball Player of the Year and winning an AE championship, Allen still possesses two years of NCAA eligibility. She said she hopes to take advantage of this opportunity by taking more of a leadership role in the team as the program looks to continue to establish itself on the national scene.

“I’m trying to be more of a leader, personally, and trying to show it more outwardly towards everybody,” Allen said. “We have a lot of people coming in next year, so I want to kind of be one of the people that they can trust. Personally, I want to be more of a leader and get myself mentally stronger and learn the game more so I can pass that on to the other groups coming in.”

“Obviously, I was proud of the way we fought and thought we showed a lot of heart,” said Binghamton head coach Kevin McKeown. “In the end, just ended up one short on the scoreboard.”

“We were able to get the lead with six minutes left, but unfortunately, couldn’t hold on to it and couldn’t get the ball in overtime and credit to them, they scored a good goal there,” he continued.

The Bulldogs (10-5, 5-1 AE) were first to find net, going up 1-0 early in the first quarter. Bryant soon found another score, building its lead to 2-0. Binghamton (5-9, 3-3 AE) continued to search for its opening score, rattling off three consecutive shot attempts, but it was Bryant who found net yet again.

BU opened its scorebook after winning the ensuing face-off, and graduate student attack/midfielder Liam Ferris found twine.

“We talk about it a lot in terms of just trying to be resilient and respond to adversity,” McKeown said. “Lacrosse is a game of runs, so we knew at some point they were going to have some momentum and go on a run, and I guess unfortunately it was to start the game, so we were kind of playing from behind a little bit.”

In the second quarter, the Bearcats got on the board first when Ferris found sophomore long stick midfielder Nolan Sharkey, who buried it in the back of the net to make it a 3-2 game. Bryant would control possession while scoring consecutive goals to take a 5-2 lead. Senior attack Dan Garone responded with a score for the Bearcats, but another pair of scores from the Bulldogs saw Binghamton trail 7-3. However, a score from sophomore midfielder Riley Jenkins as time expired saw the Bearcats enter the half trailing by three.

“I thought we battled the face-off,” McKeown said. “I think the stats maybe didn’t quite show. I mean, we won a few right back after they had won it. So I thought we really scrapped for some possessions there and that was a focus going in.”

The third quarter opened with a nearly seven-and-a-half-minute scoring drought that junior midfielder Colin Delay ended when he found twine at 7:28. A retaliatory score from Bryant made it a 5-8 game, but Delay found twine once again. With 1:01 remaining in the third quarter, Ferris lit up the scoreboard as the Bearcats entered the final period of play down by one.

“I thought the defense played well,” McKeown said. “To hold a team like that to nine in four quarters, 10 with overtime. They’re a good offense.”

“So I was proud of the way our defense played, them combined with [senior goalie Connor Winters],” he continued.

Bryant opened the fourth quarter with six consecutive shots, but was unable to find a score. After three unsuccessful shot attempts, Delay found twine, securing a hat-trick and notching the score at 8-8.

Soon after, a Bulldogs score was overturned and senior attack Gage Adams found net to give the Bearcats their first lead of the day. Bryant finally got one past Winters at the 4:14 mark and both squads were held scoreless through the rest of play, forcing a golden-goal overtime period. After winning the opening face-off, Bryant found twine, as BU fell 10-9.

“I thought our seniors did a great job leading this team all year,” McKeown said. “I told the guys that after the game, I thought they really believed and they were really building over their four years here.”

The loss brings Binghamton’s 2025 campaign to an end, as they fell short of qualifying for the AE Finals. However, several Bearcats found success this year. Delay and Sharkey were named to the AE All-Tournament Team for their performances in the semifinal matchup. Ferris, sophomore attack Andrew Girolamo and senior defender Lorenzo Ramos all earned first team All-Conference honors.

“We were happy with how the weekend went especially because UMBC are our only losses in conference play,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “But I thought we put both sides of the ball together.”

Binghamton (31-12, 14-2 AE) quickly took a 2-0 lead in game one when sophomore infielder Elisa Allen blasted a two-run shot in the Bearcats’ third at bat and junior pitcher Olivia Kennedy kept the Bearcats in the lead with a scoreless first. After three Bearcat strikeouts in the top of the second, Kennedy turned out a one-two-three to maintain the BU lead. Colgate (18-30, 6-9 Patriot) saw its first score in the bottom of the third, while threatening to plate more after loading the bases, but Kennedy retired the final Colgate hitter.

Both squads were scoreless through the fourth inning, but the fifth inning saw Binghamton grow its lead when Allen slammed a three-run home run, bringing home graduate student utility Lindsey Walter and graduate student outfielder Brianna Santos.

Both teams failed to score again until the top of the seventh, when a solo shot by junior catcher Emma Lawson grew the Bearcats’ lead to 6-1. A scoreless outing from Kennedy in the bottom of the seventh saw BU claim the game one victory.

“[Allen] is having a great season but more recently she is just continuing to build confidence,” Bump wrote. “She’s a pure hitter but as time goes on she’s becoming an elite hitter.”

Binghamton continued to live by the home run in Tuesday’s nightcap, putting up 10 runs in the top of the first. An RBI double courtesy of Allen saw BU score its first run of the outing, and Lawson plated two off a home run in Binghamton’s next at-bat.

The Bearcats brought home four more runs in the first when Allen returned to the plate and blasted a three-run shot to make it a 10-0 ballgame. A Raiders’ round tripper in the bottom of the first saw them plate two, but a two-run home run from sophomore utility Maddy Dodig in the second made the game 12-2 for BU.

“We are still looking to be a bit better with runners in scoring position and gaining momentum when we have less than 2 outs,” Bump wrote. “Our defense also needs to be cleaned up but we know we are a great defensive team so it’s now just more of a focus.”

The Bearcats scored their 13th run in the top of the third, before a six-run fourth inning in which Allen, freshman pitcher Savanna McHale and freshman infielder Emilia Podeszwa each hit two-run homers, saw them take a 19-2 lead. An RBI from Allen saw the Bearcats move to 20 runs scored in game two, before sophomore pitcher/utility Sami Levine brought home Santos for Binghamton’s final score of the night.

Sophomore pitcher/utility Delaney Glover pitched a scoreless inning in the bottom of the fifth as Binghamton’s seven home run performance in the nightcap set a single-game program record. Allen’s seven RBI performance in game two tied another record as she moved to 55 RBIs on the season, breaking the Binghamton single-season program record.

“We are looking to maintain momentum,” Bump wrote. “We know that winning a championship is hard, but this team is different and we feel as though we have put ourselves into a good position to win.”

The Bearcats’ seven home run performance in Tuesday’s nightcap set a program record for home runs in a game. BU will play its final series of the regular season when it takes on Albany in a three-game series, and the first pitch is scheduled for Friday, May 2 at 2 p.m. at the UAlbany field in Albany, New York.

In a must-win game to decide the final America East (AE) playoff spot, the Bearcats’ slow start saw them trail the visiting Great Danes 12-3 at halftime. Despite their best efforts, the Bearcats were unable to complete a comeback, narrowly missing the playoffs.

“We’ve got a group that never gives up, and even at the timeouts there in the fourth quarter, [there was] a look of hope in their eyes and resiliency,” said Binghamton head coach Stephanie Allen. “They weren’t going to just sit back on their heels and take the loss easily. So something I applaud them for, just their never-give-up mentality, their resiliency.”

The Great Danes (7-9, 4-2 AE) opened play with back-to-back goals to take an early 2-0 lead. However, Binghamton (5-10, 2-4 AE) soon responded when senior attack Marisa Tancredi found senior attack Olivia Muscolino for a score. Albany responded forcefully, scoring four unanswered goals to take a 6-1 lead. The Bearcats struggled throughout the first quarter as they were outshot 14-4, conceding five turnovers.

“Obviously, the empty possessions hurt us,” Allen said. “Turnovers and maybe just not generating enough shots or playing with urgency [also hurt]. I think we seemed a little disjointed and weren’t playing connected in that first half.”

The second period of play continued with more of the same for the Bearcats, as four consecutive scores from the Great Danes saw BU face a 10-1 deficit at 11:49. The Bearcats were able to slow down play and end Albany’s run when junior attack Emma Blloshmi converted a free-position opportunity.

Soon after, senior midfielder Abigail Carroll found twine to make it a 10-3 game. Albany continued to attack BU’s net, scoring twice in the final 1:35 to take a commanding 12-3 lead as the foes entered halftime.

The Bearcats’ offense continued to show signs of life, with Carroll scoring her second goal of the day early in the third quarter. A free-position goal from junior attack Jess Robinson soon after brought the score to 12-5 at the first media timeout of the second half. The Great Danes assuaged fears of a comeback with two scores as the clock ran out, but the Bearcats outshot the visitors 10-9 while winning the draw control battle 4-1 in the third period.

“Just an adjustment of what our draw taker was doing out there, trying to position our circle players a little differently to put us in a better position,” Allen said about BU’s successes on second-half draw controls. “I thought [the] kind of mentality of our draw takers is — they start getting on a run of possessions and give them something to adjust to. And I thought [junior defense] Mckenna Kobler did a very good job of that today.”

Binghamton’s hopes were reignited when Blloshmi scored on BU’s first possession of the final quarter, but Albany responded with two scores of its own to make it 16-6. Binghamton then scored twice within 27 seconds, but another goal from Albany made it a 17-8 game. A free-position score courtesy of Carroll was Binghamton’s last score of the season, as Albany then scored twice to secure its 19-9 victory.

“Big shoes to fill,” Allen said. “[Our seniors are] a group that’s incredibly passionate about the game of lacrosse and playing for and alongside their teammates. So certainly going to miss them, but they’ve left a legacy of competitiveness and a winning mindset that everyone can hope to live up to.”

The 19-9 loss brought the Bearcats’ season to an end as they missed the AE playoffs following their first-ever AE title last season. Despite the early end to their campaign, several Bearcats had record-breaking seasons.

Muscolino’s 32-goal and 18-assist 2024-25 season brought her historic Binghamton career to a close as Binghamton’s all-time points and goals leader, with 209 points and 148 goals. Senior defense Angelina Suau finished her Binghamton career as BU’s all-time leader in caused turnovers with 87. In her second season as a Bearcat, Blloshmi finished first in NCAA Division I with 2.07 free-position goals per game and first in the AE with 3.93 goals per game.

“Just really proud of them and their battle,” said Binghamton head coach Stephanie Allen. “The season was kind of on the line today, and we knew it was a battle to keep hopes alive, and they went out there and took care of business. Just really proud of the effort and the heart that they played with today.”

Binghamton (4-8, 1-2 AE) nearly opened scoring with a shot by senior attacker Olivia Muscolino that bounced off the post. Instead, it would be fellow senior attacker Marisa Tancredi who found twine first, bringing BU a 1-0 lead. After graduate student goalie Sofia Salgado saved a free-position shot, Vermont (4-8, 0-4 AE) recovered the ground ball and put one past Salgado for its first score.

Soon after, junior attacker Emma Blloshmi made it 2-1 for the Bearcats on a free-position shot. On the next Bearcat possession, Blloshmi scored again as the quarter came to a close.

“Today we just really took advantage of what was on the line, and the season relied on us getting the win today and keeping our playoff hopes alive,” Allen said. “I think we stepped out there and played with a lot of [hunger] and eagerness from the first whistle and that was what you saw from our players in the ride today.”

After five scoreless minutes to start the second, Vermont cut its deficit to one with a free-position goal. The Bearcats responded when junior attacker Carla Curth was awarded a free-position opportunity herself, finding Muscolino just outside the crease, who buried it in the back of the net. On Binghamton’s next possession, Muscolino converted a free-position opportunity for another Bearcat score. For the final score of the half, the Catamounts found net to make it a 5-3 game.

“Blloshmi today was an absolute beast,” Allen said. “I think she had nine draw controls on top of her five goals, so just the collaborative-ness on the field and really working to create something there in a tough, high-pressure moment was impressive to me.”

Vermont’s offense came out hot to start the second half of play, scoring twice in the first 1:33 to tie the game at five. Blloshmi then converted a free-position opportunity to retake the lead for BU, but a free-position goal from the Catamounts reinstated the deadlock. In just her second game back from an ACL injury suffered in 2024, senior midfielder Abigail Carroll made a splash, scoring once and assisting Muscolino to give the Bearcats an 8-6 lead. Fighting to stay in the game, the Catamounts then scored two straight as the foes entered the fourth quarter tied at eight.

“Its fun just to see her passion for the game out on the field,” Allen said of Carroll. “We’re using her kind of sparingly, we don’t want to go too much honor too soon, but she just brings so much energy to the field, and it’s fun having her and her desire to win out there.”

The fourth quarter opened with both squads struggling to score, with Vermont attempting three unsuccessful shots and Binghamton attempting two. As the defenses tightened and tensions rose, a yellow card against the Catamounts enabled Blloshmi to score her fourth, and a goal from sophomore midfielder Mia Forte followed to give BU a two-score lead. The final 3:00 of play saw a goal apiece from Tancredi and Blloshmi to seal the 12-8 win.

“We talked about having to get balls in the back of the net and not just relying on our defense to get stops,” Allen said. “I thought [freshman midfielder Leah Kaufer] came in and did a tremendous job on the draw in that second half, and getting us the ball on our stick.”

The Bearcats will look to build on Saturday’s momentum when they travel to take on UMass Lowell on Saturday, April 12. First draw control is set for 11 a.m. at Cushing Field Complex in Lowell, Massachusetts.

“I think the teams that are at the top of the conference are all extremely competitive,” said Binghamton head coach Kevin McKeown. “We’ve had close games the past few years with everybody. So we just need to make sure we’re learning from these results, win or lose, and continuing to get better as we get toward the end of April.”

Throughout Saturday’s match, Binghamton honored and celebrated the life of fallen firefighter John “JR” Gaudet, who was also an alumnus of the Binghamton men’s lacrosse team. Outside of his service as a firefighter, Gaudet served the community as a volunteer youth sports coach, working with organizations like Binghamton Youth Lacrosse.

(2:27) “I was able to play with JR for two years,” McKeown said. “I was in the same class with him here, and we talked about him and his selflessness and [were] able to tell some stories from when he was here and he was the same way. I wasn’t surprised to hear that he was putting his life on the line in an unfortunate tragedy. So we’ll continue to honor him and do a lot of the youth stuff in the community moving forward.”

After a successful clear attempt by Binghamton (4-6, 2-1 AE) kickstarted its first possession, senior attacker Dan Garone opened the scoring. The next two BU possessions saw two scores from senior attack Gage Adams. BU continued its red-hot start with strikes from graduate student attacker/midfielder Liam Ferris and senior midfielder Thomas Kelly that capped off the 5-0 unanswered run. Albany (4-8, 2-2 AE) would finally get on the board at the 2:02 mark, capitalizing on a failed clear attempt by the Bearcats, as quarter one came to a close.

“I’m not sure how much changed,” McKeown said of the team surrendering an early lead. “I do think they made a good switch from going to zone. I think that just slowed our offense down a little bit. I thought we were really attacking well early, and when they went to zone, we just kind of had to change what we were doing.”

The second quarter opened with a triplet of scores from Albany to cut its deficit to 5-4. After Albany’s game-tying score was nullified by a crease violation, sophomore attacker Andrew Girolamo found twine to end Binghamton’s 15:21 scoreless run. The Great Danes managed a retaliatory score to cut the lead within one before the clock ran out with the scoreboard reading 6-5 Binghamton.

“We had a couple failed clears, couple penalties in that second quarter, where I thought we just shot ourselves in the foot a little bit and gave them some opportunities to gain some momentum, which they did,” McKeown said. “Overall proud of the effort … I thought we had some good opportunities to finish. We just didn’t put it in the back of the net.”

Albany continued mounting pressure in the second, opening play with a pair of scores to take a 7-6 lead. After stopping an Albany clear attempt, a BU fast break saw Ferris score once more, but the tie was swiftly broken by a pair of Albany scores to take a 9-7 lead. Senior long stick midfielder Paolo Capucciati then found twine with three seconds in the quarter as the Bearcats entered the fourth quarter trailing by one.

“I thought we rolled the ball well,” McKeown said. “I think [senior goalie Connor Winters] played well in net. I do think we played well defensively, six on six. They got going a little bit in transition off the failed clears, which was a focus for us. So I think definitely still plenty to work on, and [we] have three big conference games left.”

Once again, Albany was the first to get on the board, taking a 10-8 lead early in the fourth quarter. Binghamton nearly found twine when two consecutive shots from junior midfielder Will Feldmann bounced off the crossbar, but instead, the Great Danes scored again with 1:55 to play for 11-8. Ferris found twine to keep the Bearcats in it, but the Great Danes recovered possession and ran out the clock for Binghamton’s first AE loss this season.

“They’re just good offensively,” McKeown said. “You’re not going to hold a team like that down really, really low. I feel like if we maybe didn’t make those mistakes we can hold them to a single-digit number, which typically if you do, you put yourself in a good position.”

The Bearcats will look to move back into first in the AE when they take on UMBC on Saturday, April 12. Faceoff is scheduled for noon at UMBC Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland.

I thought we competed really hard,” said Binghamton head coach Kevin McKeown. “I thought we fought hard … I was proud of our guys, how they kinda stuck with it and closed the gap toward the end, and we just weren’t able to quite do enough there.”

Despite losing the game-opening faceoff, Binghamton (4-5, 2-0 AE) opened scoring when senior attack Gage Adams found twine. Harvard (7-2, 1-1 Ivy League) responded soon after, and an unsuccessful clear attempt by the Bearcats allowed Harvard to score once more. The Crimson stayed hot, winning the ensuing faceoff and finding the back of the net. A successful finish from graduate student attack/midfielder Liam Ferris saw BU cut the deficit to one, but the Crimson struck back once more in the final second of quarter one to make it 4-2.

“I think offensively, it was actually one of our best games, in terms of how we played offense,” McKeown said. “I just don’t think we gave the ball enough through clearing the ball from the defensive end.”

Harvard opened the second quarter with a goal just 40 seconds into the period, but sophomore attack Andrew Girolamo lit up the board for BU soon after to keep pace. The Crimson fought back, swinging into full gear and scoring five straight over the next 5:27, with four of their five goals following a failed clear attempt or a turnover. The foes continued to trade shots with BU rattling off four and Harvard five, but the scoreboard remained static as the first half came to a close.

“I don’t think there were a ton of adjustments [at halftime],” McKeown said. “I thought we had some good looks in the first half, where their goalie came up with some good saves. I think we worked some good opportunities in the second half, maybe we improved those opportunities a little bit.”

Harvard continued its scoring run into the second half, adding two more goals. Binghamton responded with consecutive goals of its own, courtesy of Adams and Ferris. After another score from the Crimson, three consecutive saves from senior goalie Connor Winters slowed the pace of play, but Harvard eventually found the net once again. Soon after, junior midfielder Gavin Jacobsen found net to cut Harvard’s lead down to 14-6. Both teams then found twine during their respective final possessions of the quarter, as Ferris lit up the scoreboard for BU with just two seconds remaining in the quarter.

“[Winters] was great,” said McKeown. “I thought he bailed us out defensively when we had some breakdowns. He played with a lot of energy, a lot of poise, some really big saves. I wasn’t surprised to see that out of him, he’s a guy we count on to do that.”

Reinvigorated by their last-second score, the Bearcats hit the ground running in the fourth quarter, as sophomore midfielder Brady Sharkey found net just 17 seconds into the quarter. The Bearcats continued to hound Harvard, with Adams scoring three consecutive goals to cut the once 15-6 deficit to 15-11 with 9:35 to play. Looking to slow the Bearcats’ surge, Harvard slowed its pace of play before a late score ended BU’s run. Both squads scored once more as the clock ran down, with Binghamton’s comeback attempt ultimately falling short 17-12.

“We’re gonna get back to work, get ready for a quality opponent in Albany,” McKeown said. “All teams that we’re finishing up with are ones that we’re obviously pretty familiar with, so we’ll dig in, take it one week at a time and try to make a run here at the end of the season.”

The Bearcats will look to stay undefeated in AE play against Albany on Saturday, April 5. Faceoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

“It was an amazing event,” said Binghamton head coach Kyle Borshoff. “Our guys competed hard and both made it to the second day. They would have liked to have won more matches, but I’m proud of the effort and accomplishments they had throughout the season.”

In his fourth consecutive appearance at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, Cassella entered the weekend as the No. 6 seed in his 174-pound bracket. Taking on the No. 27-seeded wrestler from Drexel in the first round, Casella battled back from a 1-0 deficit early on to move to the second round with a 3-1 decision win. In the second round, facing a 2025 All-American from Iowa, Cassella suffered a 3-0 loss to get knocked into the second round of the consolation bracket.

“I think both of their careers are among the best of any student athletes that we’ve had here,” Borshoff said. “Brevin being a four-time national qualifier, Cory being a three-time national qualifier — I thought that the impact they had on our team was tremendous.”

After a successful takedown in the first and second periods of the consolation bout, Cassella built a 6-0 lead he would not relinquish en route to an 8-0 major decision win against his Minnesota opponent. Squaring off against the No. 14 seeded wrestler from NC State in the third round of the consolation bracket, Cassella faced a 5-3 deficit when he attempted a last second takedown for the victory, despite getting to his opponent’s ankles he was unable to finish the move, ending his season.

“They both did an outstanding job representing our University and have really carried the torch for our program over the past several seasons,” Borshoff said. “I’m looking forward to having them as alumni now instead of student-athletes.”

Competing in his third consecutive NCAA Championships, Day entered the event as the No. 19-seeded wrestler in the 285-pound bracket. Facing the No. 14 seed from Lock Haven in a rematch of an early season dual which he lost 6-3, Day was unable to recover from a late 3-2 deficit, losing in a 10-2 major decision. In his first round matchup in the consolation bracket, Day fought to stay another day, taking a 5-1 lead after two periods of wrestling before securing the pin in the final seconds of the match for an 8-1 victory by fall over his Wyoming opponent. Looking to reach the third round of the consolation bracket, Day took on the No. 13 seeded wrestler from Maryland in the consolation bracket second round. Despite his best efforts, Day fell behind early and he went on to lose by technical fall 17-2.

“We’ve got to train hard with the guys that we have,” Borshoff said. “Our guys are very committed; they’ll be training here most of the summer after students leave after finals. Our guys for the most part stick around, and they work hard, wrestling, lifting, conditioning. We’re just always looking for the next guy to step up. So now it’s figuring out who that’s going to be for us.”

Wrestling’s season comes to a close in Philadelphia with its two competitors at the NCAA championships earning three combined wins. Cassella’s two wins over the weekend moved him to 102 wins, while he earned main bracket victories in consecutive NCAA championships to bring his collegiate career to a close. Meanwhile, Day’s day one victory brought him to three career wins at the NCAA championships, as his collegiate career came to an end with 82 wins and 36 pins, 14 of which came this season.

Although Cassella and Day will not be returning to compete for BU on the mat next season, Borshoff’s squad is expected to retain five of the nine wrestlers who earned podium placements at the EIWA Championships.

“It was a tough loss and one that doesn’t sit well with us.” wrote Binghamton head coach Stephanie Allen. “We did not play to our potential and consistency is our biggest focus right now and moving forward.”

Bryant (6-4, 1-1 AE), opened play on Saturday with a bang, scoring on its first possession of the match. Keeping pace was Binghamton (3-7, 0-1 AE), who took advantage of a woman-up free-position opportunity when junior attack Emma Blloshmi found net on the next possession. The Bulldogs would begin to build a lead, going on a 4-0 scoring run before Blloshmi got back on the board for BU with an assist from senior attack Olivia Muscolino. A final score from Bryant with 5:07 to play in the quarter would make it a 6-2 game heading into quarter two.

“We hit a lot of pipes on Saturday which means we are getting looks, but we are working on the patience aspect and taking the extra second to get our shots inside of the pipe,” Allen wrote. “It is a focus thing for our attackers right now and an area of our game I know we can improve upon.”

The Bearcats began the second quarter eager to trim their deficit, rattling off three unsuccessful shots. It would instead be Bryant’s first shot that opened scoring in the quarter, as the Bulldogs built the lead to 7-2. BU continued to look for net throughout the quarter, outshooting Bryant 9-6, but the Bearcats were kept off the board and another goal from the Bulldogs saw Bryant go into the half with an 8-2 lead.

“Our decision-making and sense of urgency lacked at times even though that has been a point of emphasis for us all season,” Allen wrote. “We will run through a lot of low-clock situations this week and preventing fast breaks — both of which impacted the game on Saturday.”

Bryant were first to score yet again, but an immediate draw control win from BU gave Muscolino the chance to score her first of the game, and keep Binghamton in it. However, the Bulldogs dominated play through the core of the period, scoring three straight. Back-to-back goals from Muscolino and Blloshmi trimmed the Bulldog lead to 12-5. Bryant — gunning for the victory — embarked on another three goal run to end the quarter, effectively ending BU’s hopes of a comeback.

“Bryant had a harder fight on the 50/50 balls this weekend,” Allen wrote. “We stressed that pre-game as one of the areas that we needed to win to come out on top and it wasn’t executed. It continues to be a priority in every game — the little things will make a big impact on the overall outcome of the game.”

Now down by 10, Binghamton elected to substitute in sophomore goalie Maeve Sayre, and two forced turnovers from senior midfielder Angelina Suau helped to keep the deadlock through the first half of the final period. Eventually, Bryant broke through for its 16th goal of the match, but soon after Muscolino found net to secure her third-consecutive hat trick. A final score from the Bulldogs with 1:07 remaining brought the score to 17-6 as the Bearcats fell in their first match of AE play.

“We are just focused on getting back to a place in which our team culture and foundational aspects of our units are consistently executed,” Allen wrote. “We have a lot of potential within this team and hope that our leadership shines as we stay hungry to face one of America East’s top teams this weekend.”

The Bearcats will look to get their first win of AE play when they host UMBC on Saturday, March 29. First draw control is set for 1 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

“Cornell is a very good team and we needed to be better to compete with them for 60 minutes,” wrote Binghamton head coach Stephanie Allen.

Cornell (6-2) was quick to get on the board, netting two goals in the first three minutes of play. When Binghamton (3-6) saw its first score after junior attack Jess Robinson found senior attack Olivia Muscolino. Cornell responded with a goal of its own as the foes went into the media break. Both squads continued to trade goals, with redshirt junior attack Emma Blloshmi netting her first and Muscolino finding the net once more, as the scoreboard read 5-3 in favor of the Big Red heading into the second quarter.

“Once our offensive players settled in and adapted to the pressure, they were able to move the ball faster and find each other — making some good connections,” Allen wrote. “We just need more steam in the second half.”

Following a woman-up opportunity, Binghamton’s first goal of period two saw Muscolino find Robinson this time around to cut the deficit to one. After two unanswered goals from the Big Red, senior midfielder Christiana Mastrorocco got it to Muscolino, who buried it in the back of the net to complete the hat-trick. However, another four unanswered scores from Cornell left BU entering halftime at an 11-5 deficit.

“We struggled with our woman-up opportunities early on this season and have spent a lot more time working on these throughout practice,” Allen wrote. “Our improved tempo and spacing have played a big part in our success more recently.”

After conceding a goal to the Big Red to start the second half, the Bearcats found themselves in a two-woman-up opportunity. When senior attack Marisa Tancredi was then awarded a free-position opportunity, she found twine. Not long after, after BU won the draw control, Tancredi assisted junior attack Carla Curth for the Bearcats’ seventh goal of the match. Cornell dominated the second half of the third quarter, however, scoring five straight goals, including three in the final 1:29 of the period, to take a 17-7 lead.

“The team chemistry has been improving every game this season, especially on the offensive end,” Allen wrote. “It’s been great getting players back from injury and incorporating them more. Our offensive allows players the freedom to read and react and we are doing a good job of finding the ‘one more’ option out there.”

Cornell continued its run, scoring first to open the final quarter of play. Soon after, Blloshmi found Tancredi as she secured her third point on the day. The two teams traded possessions before Cornell put two more in the back of the Binghamton net, cementing its lead at 20-8. With under two minutes to play and the game out of reach, a free-position shot from sophomore midfielder Mia Forte found its way into the net, with Binghamton falling to Cornell 20-9.

“This team has gained a lot of perspective through the non-conference season,” Allen wrote. “Our mentality is strong, despite some losses, and we’ve learned a lot about who we are and what we can do as a group. We are definitely ready for the start of conference play.”

The Bearcats are now set to kickoff America East conference play, traveling to Bryant on Saturday, March 22. First draw control is set for noon at the Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

“I was really proud of Brevin and Cory,” said Binghamton head coach Kyle Borshoff. “I thought they did a great job, obviously punching their ticket through to the NCAA championship … I thought overall we had a good effort, putting nine guys on the podium, and I thought we had a lot of bright spots throughout the weekend.”

After four years of appearances in the EIWA championships, wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals propelled Cassella into the 174-pound bracket final, where a late stall call in the third period forced the dual into overtime. After two overtime periods in which the foes remained deadlocked in a 1-1 tie, a takedown in the sixth period won Cassella his first-ever EIWA title and Binghamton’s first individual title since 2022. Cassella’s final victory also marked his 100th career victory as a Bearcat.

For his efforts, Cassella was one of two wrestlers awarded the Coaches’ Trophy, which is given to the most outstanding wrestler of the EIWA Championships.

“It’s a great way to cap off his career,” Borshoff said of Cassella. “Winning the EIWA is a hard thing to do. Brevin continues to prove that he is one of the best guys in the country. He’s certainly one of the most outstanding wrestlers our program has ever had, and I’m just really happy for him.”

Day also secured his best EIWA placement, finishing second in the 285-pound bracket. After a 1-0 victory by decision in the quarterfinals, thanks to a successful escape in the final period, and a 6-1 decision win in the semifinals, he advanced to the finals. Taking on the No. 1 seed in the bracket, he allowed two three-point takedowns in the final en route to a 7-1 decision loss. The tournament results helped Cassella and Day clinch spots in the NCAA championships: Cassella earned the No. 6 seed in the 174-pound bracket and Day the No. 19 seed in the 285-pound pound bracket.

“Cory did a great job,” Borshoff said. “He had a tricky first round matchup and then he had a tough competitor in the semifinal round, and he was able to wrestle a really nice game plan in that match. And then going into the finals I thought we had a much better effort against the wrestler from Lehigh than we had earlier in the season.”

The highest podium placer of five Bearcats to secure the honor for the first time in their careers was sophomore Carson Wagner with a third-place finish. After falling in the semifinals to the eventual 125-pound bracket champion, wins in the consolation semifinals and finals secured his third-place finish. Despite Wagner’s efforts at the tournament and a strong 2025 campaign, he was not awarded an at-large bid to the NCAA championships. Also earning his first podium finish was junior Carter Baer, who won three duals overall before falling in the consolation finals as he finished fourth in the 165-pound bracket.

“I think Carson had a great year,” Borshoff said. “Obviously improving immensely since last season … I also think that [redshirt senior] Ivan Garcia had an outstanding season this year … having wins over multiple guys that will be competing next weekend at the national championships … He did his best to try to fight through that injury.”

The remaining first-time podium place finishers included junior Will Ebert in the 184-pound bracket, redshirt sophomore Cayden Bevis in the 197-pound and Garcia in the 149-pound bracket. All three wrestlers finished in sixth place after losing their respective fifth-place bouts. Garcia — who entered the weekend as the No. 3 seed — competed despite undergoing open knee surgery one week before the event.

“So we’ll be back in practice just with everyone,” Borshoff said. “We’ll have the whole team around tomorrow. We’ll be practicing, we’ll be lifting, we’ll be conditioning this week, just making sure that we’re working on a couple of the areas that those individuals need to focus on.”

The Bearcats’ 2024-25 campaign will come to a close at the NCAA Championships, which run from Thursday, March 20 to Saturday, March 22. Cassella and Day’s final quests to bring home a title will take place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“I thought we had a decent performance in the first half or at least the second quarter,” said Binghamton head coach Stephanie Allen. “We’ve just got to be better all around. Right now we’re not stringing both ends of the field together simultaneously, and that’s something that we’ve got to figure out.”

After winning the draw control, junior attack Emma Blloshmi lit up the scoreboard on Binghamton’s (2-4) first possession. Campbell (2-3), eager to get one on the board, drove down into Bearcats territory and earned a free-position attempt, but they could not find twine. The Bearcats, however, soon hit a road bump, as they failed to register a single shot on target for the remainder of the period while also conceding three more free-position attempts, all of which led to Campbell goals as they took a 3-1 lead to end quarter one.

“We’ve got to be cleaner out there,” Allen said. “We’ve got to make better decisions and move with a little bit better anticipation defensively so we’re not sitting back on our heels and fouling opponents.”

Blloshmi continued her strong game in the second quarter, finding the Camels’ net on BU’s first possession once again. However, the Camels responded with a pair of their own goals. Binghamton’s momentum rapidly grew when they found themselves in a rare two-woman-up scenario. It was senior attack Olivia Muscolino who lit up the scoreboard first. The Bearcats continued their offensive rampage, scoring three more goals without letting Campbell gain possession once. Although the Camels managed to tie it up at six with under 90 seconds to play, Binghamton once again scored consecutive goals, entering the half with an 8-6 lead.

“Emma has continued to impress us on game days,” Allen said. “[She’s] somebody that plays pretty fearlessly out there. We know she’s high on peopple’s scalp. She continues to get the production that we need for our offensive unit … Can’t ask a whole lot more of her right now. Just want our entire team to play with the urgency and confidence that she’s playing with right now.”

Campbell came out of the half on a roll, scoring three times in the first five minutes. Following several minutes of back and forth, a pair of BU goals, including one from senior attack Marisa Tancredi — who scored her first goal since the 2024 America East championship game — put Binghamton back ahead. However, Campbell responded to BU’s pair of scores with two of their own to take an 11-10 lead heading into the final period.

“I thought Campbell came out really hot in the second half, and we had some decision-making with the ball and some turnovers that were easy fast-break opportunities for them,” Allen said. “It’s something that we’ve got to continue to work on — our speed and fitness — so that we can prevent or slow some of those opportunities down.”

The Camels opened the fourth quarter with a similar intensity, scoring four unanswered goals to take a 15-10 lead with just over seven minutes to play. A late goal from Blloshmi raised the Bearcats out of their slumber, as freshman midfielder Anthea Hayslip and junior attack Carla Curth each followed with goals of their own, cutting BU’s deficit to two. However, a turnover after the draw control gave the Camels possession and they were able to run down the clock before scoring once more to secure the win.

“We’re a different team than last year,” Allen said. “We’ve got to treat the team a little bit differently and approach a little bit differently this season too.”

The Bearcats will look to get back on track when they host Brown on Sunday, March 9. First draw control is set for 1 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

“I was proud of our players for finding a way to win,” said Binghamton head coach Stephanie Allen. “Our defense really buckled down in the second half and their performance spoke for itself.”

Binghamton (2-3) got off to a flying start, winning the initial faceoff. In the ensuing possession, senior midfielder Christiana Mastrorocco found junior attack Jess Robinson for her first career goal. Marist (1-5) quickly responded, forcing a turnover and knotting the match at one. Continuing her hot start to the season, redshirt junior attack Emma Blloshmi found the back of the net on consecutive shots to build a 3-1 lead. Adding to Binghamton’s offensive onslaught was Mastrorocco, who found twine on a free-position shot. With under a minute to play in the period, Blloshmi was awarded her second free-position shot which she proceeded to bury, securing a first-quarter hat trick.

“We just allowed Marist to take the wind out of our sail in the second quarter,” said Allen. “They made some good adjustments offensively that posed some challenges for our defensive unit. We needed to be more explosive offensively and convert on our opportunities as well.”

After struggling with a dormant attacking unit in the first period of play, the Red Foxes awoke at the start of period two, putting two past the Binghamton defense. The Bearcats were able to nip Marist’s run in the bud when a yellow card against the hosts gave them a man-up scenario, during which junior attack Carla Curth found Blloshmi for her fourth of the day. Momentum swung back in the Red Foxes’ favor when they cut the lead to two on a man-up opportunity. After winning the ensuing draw control, Marist scored yet again as Binghamton’s lead shrunk to one. The foes traded free position attempts, but neither squad was able to find net as the half drew to a close.

“Both Blloshmi and [sophomore goalie Maeve Sayre] played outstanding on Saturday and were extreme difference makers in terms of the outcome,” Allen said. “We are really proud of them for stepping up in a tight game and giving us the opportunity to pull out the win.”

Coming out of halftime, both teams continued to search for twine, but stout defensive play and several forced turnovers kept gameplay scoreless through nearly seven minutes. Marist was the first to get on the board in quarter three, successfully erasing a four-point deficit. The Red Foxes’ good fortune would not last for long when, once again, Blloshmi lit up the scoreboard after a free-position shot. The remainder of third-period play went scoreless, as Binghamton went into the final quarter up 7-6.

“Huge credit goes to to our goalie Maeve Sayre for making stops on Marist’s free positions Saturday,” said Allen. “Our defense needs to clean things up and not put teams on the line as frequently and we are lucky that Marist was not able to convert. It played a big part in the outcome.”

Once again, the Red Foxes opened up the scoring, tying up the game at seven on their first possession of the fourth quarter. Marist continued to look to Binghamton’s net, but Sayre kept the Bearcats in position to win with three consecutive saves. Stepping up for BU once more was Blloshmi, scoring her career-high sixth goal of the match while taking an 8-7 lead. Sayre continued to be a dominant force in the net, saving two free-position shot attempts en route to a career-high 12 save game, as the Bearcats secured their second victory of the season.

BU will aim to build on its momentum and get back to .500 when it hosts Campbell on Wednesday, March 5. The first draw control is set for 11 a.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

Since its inception in 2006, the luncheon has raised over $500,000 for scholarships that have benefited 92 recipients of the Binghamton Bearcats Athletic Association Scholarship. This year’s event, attended by over 900 people, helped to raise scholarships for 10 current female Bearcat student-athletes.

Mackay, the first alumna to participate in the Olympic games, was a five-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-American, placing as high as sixth in the 1500m at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. During her time at BU, Mackay attended the 2019 luncheon, headlined by Joan Benoit Samuelson, and she began her speech by reflecting on her experience.

“Standing here today is such an honor,” Mackay said. “I remember sitting in this very room six years ago, listening to Joan Benoit Samuelson speak, the first woman to win an Olympic gold in a marathon. I left that luncheon feeling incredibly inspired, and I only hope to pass that feeling along to you all today. This is such a full-circle moment for me.”

Before her professional career, which began when she signed with New Balance Boston in June 2022, Mackay began her collegiate career with a redshirt freshman campaign at Oregon State. However, citing homesickness and injury, the Endicott native transferred to Binghamton to compete for a spot on the track and field roster as a walk-on. During the 2020 NCAA championship, Mackay placed a program-best 14th overall in the 1500m. Mackay highlighted this accomplishment as a turning point in her career.

“Probably about six-ish years ago, when things really started to pick up here at Binghamton University in my collegiate career under Coach Annette Acuff,” Mackay said in response to a question about when she first thought she could compete on the world stage. “I just started to continue to improve and after my cross country race — my first national championship — I came in 14th place, and I was all-American in a race I thought I would never qualify for, and after that is when Annette told me, ‘I think you can run professionally,’ and that’s when the dream started. I knew that I had so much room to continue to improve, and I definitely started to picture myself competing on the world stage after that.”

As a student-athlete, Mackay earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology while also adding several MBA courses to her resume, and she was awarded the John Bilos Female Athletic Award for her academic accomplishments. Mackay highlighted the role of strong women as role models and the University’s support system when addressing her off-the-field successes.

“I think Binghamton sets up female athletes incredibly well, both on and off the field,” Mackay said. “I think that there’s so much support here, and I think we have so many great examples of very strong women here at Binghamton University — really great role models and all the support that we need to be successful.”

Other keynote speakers included a current member of the women’s soccer team, senior midfielder Isabella Martillo. She too reflected on her time at Binghamton and the leadership role that female student-athletes occupy for the younger generations.

“Being a female student-athlete means embracing both the challenges and achievements that come with competing in a space that demands resilience, strength and determination,” Martillo said. “It means pushing past barriers — whether that is societal expectation, physical limits or moments of doubt. It means lifting up those who come after us and showing that women belong in every arena.”

“I thought that overall we started slow and put ourselves in a hole early in matches,” wrote Binghamton head coach Kyle Borshoff. “We dominated the third period in most matchups but didn’t have enough time to catch up on the scoreboard.”

The Bearcats (10-9, 5-3 EIWA) got off to a slow start in their dual meet at Army (8-3, 5-2 EIWA), dropping all three bouts in narrow-decision losses as they trailed 9-0. In the 125-pound bout, sophomore Carson Wagner went down 8-6, while graduate student Micah Roes and redshirt junior Nate Lucier lost 5-4 in the 133-pound and 4-2 in the 141-pound bouts, respectively. A 7-2 loss in the 149-pound bout from redshirt freshman Caleb Sweet in his first dual since early January saw BU’s deficit grow to 12-0. In the 157-pound bout, trailing 2-0 with under a minute to go, Nadeau earned both an escape and a takedown for the 4-3 victory despite his opponent’s extra point off riding time.

“[Nadeau] did an excellent job of keeping the match close enough to make pace matter,” Borshoff wrote. “And [he] was able to get a late takedown for the win.”

After Nadeau’s victory saw BU earn its first points, a 5-2 loss in the 165-pound bout from junior Carter Baer saw the Bearcats trail Army 15-3. Capping off his dominant final regular season, Cassella earned a 3-1 win in the 174-pound bout over his No. 30 ranked opponent. With his victory, Cassella moved to 22 wins and 14 dual victories on the season, leading the Bearcats in both categories this season. BU’s woes continued as junior Will Ebert suffered a 3-1 loss in his 184-pound bout and a loss via pin in the 197-pound bout from junior Cayden Bevis.

The Bearcats had to forfeit their final dual, the 285-pound bout, as Army completed its 30-6 rout of the Bearcats.

“Cassella did a great job today closing out his dual meet career and I’m proud of the way he continues to represent the program,” Borshoff wrote.

The Bearcats finished the 2024-25 regular season with a 10-9 dual record, along with a 5-3 EIWA dual record, which was good for second place in the EIWA’s independence division. After a notably difficult schedule for the EIWA, Borshoff feels confident that the team’s experience will set them up for success as they prepare for the EIWA and NCAA playoffs in March.

“We’ve wrestled many of the best teams and individuals in the country all season long, so we are prepared to compete with and beat the best guys in the country,” Borshoff said. “We need to work on our match management and pacing over the next two weeks, as long as we can improve those things we will have a great EIWA tournament.”

The Bearcat’s next duals will take place at the Lehigh-hosted EIWA championships, a two-day event beginning on Friday, March 7. The first bout is scheduled at a time to be decided at the Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.