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Go Bearcats! Men's soccer wins America East
Without question, the highlight of the fall sports season at Binghamton was the men's soccer team defying odds by capturing its first-ever America East Conference championship and advancing to the NCAA Division I Tournament. Picked to finish eighth in the conference, the Bearcats finished with a 10-2-6 regular season record and earned the No. 2 seed in the America East Tournament. After defeating Hartford 1-0 in the semifinals, Binghamton dethroned defending champion Northeastern at West Gym Field in the finals. The Bearcats played the Huskies to a 1-1 double-overtime tie before winning the penalty-kick shootout 3-2. Binghamton's win in the conference tournament was the crowning achievement of an already stellar season. The Bearcats led the nation in defense, allowing just seven goals and recording a school-record and national-best 15 shutouts. In addition, Binghamton was the only team in the nation not to have allowed a first-half goal. The America East Conference named six Binghamton players to its all-conference teams, the most of any team. Sophomore goalie Stefan Gonet was named both Rookie and Goalkeeper of the Year. He was also named first-team all-conference, all-rookie and was MVP of the America East Tournament. Fellow sophomore Graham Munro was also named first-team all-conference and Defender of the Year. Junior forward Stephen Bruce, junior midfielder Charles Darkwah and sophomore midfielder Danilo were named second team all-conference, while freshman forward Bryan Arnault was named to the All-Rookie Team. Gonet, Munro, Danilo and senior back Pat Skinner were named to the All-Tournament Team. Second-year head coach Paul Marco received strong consideration for Coach of the Year honors.
Women's soccer The women's soccer team posted its 17th consecutive winning season, finishing 9-8-2 and earning a trip to the ECAC Tournament. Senior forward Tracy Kasmarcik was named second-team all-conference, junior back Tatiana Mathelier was named honorable mention and freshman forward Danielle White was named to the All-Rookie Team. Kasmarcik ended her prolific career with 46 goals and 112 points, both of which are the third-highest totals in school history. Mathelier moved from the forward position to defense this season and led the Bearcats to seven shutouts, including three in the first four games. White had an immediate impact on the team, finishing second with five goals and 15 total points. She also had a team-high five assists. Volleyball The volleyball team posted its first winning season in three years, finishing with a 16-15 overall record. Junior middle blocker Anne Crocus was named all-conference for the second year in a row while freshman setter Ashley Meffert was named to the All-Rookie Team. Crocus was far and away the leading blocker in the America East Conference, averaging 1.50 blocks per game. She was also second in the conference with an attack percentage of .360. Meffert, meanwhile, made the most of her first season, averaging 11.25 assists per game. Golf The golf team continued its winning ways, capturing four of the seven tournaments it entered during the fall season. Nick Lasky took over as head coach following the retirement of longtime coach John Affleck and, in his first tournament, guided the Bearcats to a win at the Colgate Invitational. Binghamton then went on to win the Cornell Invitational, ECAC Championship and the NBT Bank Classic, held at nearby En-Joie Golf Club. Individually, senior Keith Hendrickson led the Bearcats during the fall with a 73.5 stroke average. He won the ECAC individual title while fellow senior Joe Kunz won the NBT Bank Classic individual title in a sudden-death playoff. Binghamton will attempt to defend its America East Conference title in the spring.] Cross Country The women's cross country team took some big strides this season, thanks to a pair of sophomore transfers, Erica Angel and Kathryn Murnane. That duo, along with junior Lindsey Bohrer-Yardley, led the women's squad to an upper-half finish in every race it entered. Murnane's 12th-place finish at the America East Championships was the highest finish ever recorded by a Binghamton women's runner in that meet. The men's team, meanwhile, was led by junior Pete Chambers and senior Kellen Wadach. While the men had a challenging season, several freshmen showed the potential to lead the team in the future.
Men's tennis The men's tennis team brought in several talented newcomers to help defend its America East Conference title and got off to a good start, winning three of its four dual matches during the fall season. Freshman Dan Henegby, who arrived from Israel, made an immediate impact by posting a 12-2 record at the No. 1 singles position. Richemn Mourad, who arrived from Brazil, held down the No. 2 singles spot and posted a 7-2 record. Women's tennis The women's tennis team saw the arrival of a new coach, Mike Stevens, who came from Southeast Missouri State prior to the season. He took over for Jamie Campbell, who accepted the head coaching position at Texas-El Paso during the summer. A pair of newcomers have been among the best players so far. Lya Kushnirovich has been the No. 1 singles player and fellow freshman Melis Altinay has seen action at several positions near the top of the singles lineup -- David O'Brian |
