Box Score Box score
BALTIMORE – A pair of first half
goals surged Binghamton past the UMBC women's soccer team on Senior
Night at Retriever Soccer Park. The Bearcats defeated the
Retrievers 3-0 in the America East matchup, eliminating UMBC's
chances for the sixth and final spot in the conference
tournament.
Despite picking up its first conference victory of the season,
Binghamton (7-8-1, 1-5-1 AE) was also eliminated from contention in
the league tournament, with Albany solidifying its ticket for the
final spot in the tournament. With one game remaining in the
season, the Retrievers drop to 1-10-5 overall and 0-4-3 in America
East play.
Prior to the contest, UMBC honored its four graduating
seniors;Aly Gazarek (Aldie, Va./Freedom/South
Florida), Sarah Kopytko (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock
North), Rachel McKee (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron)
and Sarah Purdum (West Fenwick Island, Del./Indian
River), who played in front of their home crowd for the final
time.
"It has been a transition this season," head coach Leslie
Wray said. "It is not easy to have a new coaching staff
come in prior to your senior season, but I think that we had a lot
of hope for this season to be different and I think it was. Here we
were in one of our final two games with the chance to go through to
the postseason.
"There are just some elements that we don't have yet," Wray
continued. "We are going to keep building and building this
program, but the four seniors have held tough. The team has
transformed just throughout this season and they have been a big
part of that."
With playoff implications on the line, Binghamton jumped out in
front, scoring 12 minutes into the contest on a strike from senior
midfielder Emily Pape. Pape gathered a clearing pass from the
Retrievers and delivered a shot off her right foot inside the right
post from 25 yards out.
The Bearcats put UMBC at a two goal deficit in the 23rd minute
as a through ball from senior forward Sarah Furminger found junior
forward Kaitlyn Martin, who used a burst of speed to get out in
front of the pack and slot a shot inside the right post for her
first goal of the season to give Binghamton a 2-0 advantage.
Freshman midfielder Rebecca Raber added an insurance goal, the
first score of her collegiate career, in the 75th minute on a pass
from Martin.
Binghamton held a 14-10 shot advantage in the contest.
UMBC goalkeeper Lauren Kadet (Oakville, Ontario/St.
Thomas Aquinas) recorded four saves in the contest and moved to
1-9-5 on the year, while the Bearcats junior keepers Carrie Martin
and Stephanie Speirs combined for seven saves on the night. Martin
earned the victory to move to 4-3 on the season.
The Retrievers conclude the regular season on the road at
Albany. Kickoff is set for noon at the Turf at College Park.