Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)

VESTAL, N.Y. -- Senior midfielder Chelsea DeVerna scored the game's only goal 3:13 into the second half and visiting Albany (5-7-1, 2-1 AE) hung on for a 1-0 win over Binghamton women's soccer (6-6-1, 0-3-1 AE) Thursday night from the Bearcats Sports Complex.

Binghamton entered the game holding an 8-2-1 advantage in the all-time series between the longtime SUNY rivals but the Great Danes held off a furious push by BU in the closing minutes and dealt the Bearcats their fifth shutout in the last seven games.

"I think we are very close to breaking through," head coach Sarah McClellan said. "The players know now that we have to be ready to play a full 90 minutes and can't come out slow and only pick it up after we get scored on. I thought our back line did a good job against their speed tonight and we're getting good scoring chances. We have to come out with some determination against Maine on Sunday. We will refocus and get ourselves pumped up for rest of conference play."

Needing a goal to force overtime, Binghamton pressed forward and had two balls carom off the crossbar in succession with 5:30 to play. After an Albany foul some 40 yards out, sophomore back Connie Gormley drilled a shot that beat the keeper before banking down off the bar. Freshman midfielder Rebecca Raber then short-hopped the rebound from point-blank range but it sailed high and also struck the crossbar. The second rebound in the frantic flurry came to senior forward Sarah Furminger, who had her shot attempt blocked by a Great Danes defender.

Two minutes earlier, Raber struck a clean ball from just outside the box that went just wide of goal. Furminger also had a golden opportunity in the 56th minute when she received a through ball from classmate Jamie Holliday, cut right, beat a defender and raced in alone on Albany keeper Alana Brennan. But with Brennan charging hard, Furminger chipped the ball over the top of the open goal from 12 yards away.

Albany's goal was the product of hard work in the left corner. Senior midfielder Maggie DeVerna outraced a BU defender to a ball at the corner flag and began dribbling down the endline toward goal. She fed a pass back in the middle to senior striker Shayla Bergeron, who then touched a ball to Chelsea DeVerna and her 19-yard instep right-footer beat BU keeper Stephanie Speirs high.

Binghamton wound up with a 9-7 shots advantage but the keepers were required to make just three combined saves.

The first half was played primarily between the two boxes and resulted in just four shots on goal with nothing dangerous.

Binghamton next hosts Maine at noon on Sunday.