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Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
VESTAL, N.Y. - Sophomore midfielder Katie O'Neill scored on a volley with 3:18 remaining in the second overtime to lift visiting Binghamton women's soccer (6-9-2, 2-3-2 America East) to a dramatic 3-2 win over Vermont (3-11-2, 1-5-1 AE) Thursday afternoon at rain-soaked Virtue Field.

O'Neill scored two goals and added an assist as the Bearcats twice battled from behind to strengthen the team's postseason position. Heading into the other conference games this evening, Binghamton currently sits in a tie for fifth place in the standings, with the top six advancing after Sunday's games. The Bearcats conclude their regular season at second-place UMBC Sunday afternoon. 

O'Neill, BU 's leading scorer and its nominee for America East Fans' Choice Player of the Year (vote here), had a huge game. She scored BU's first goal midway through the first half, assisted on its second goal to force overtime and then netted her first game-winning goal of the season. She initiated the opportunity moments earlier by ripping a shot that the Vermont keeper deflected wide for a corner kick. After junior midfielder Rebecca Raber sent the ensuing ball into the box, it bounced over to O'Neill, who was positioned on the back side 12 yards away. She struck a right-footed volley that hit the upper netting, setting off a celebration on a bitterly cold afternoon in Burlington. O'Neill leads the Bearcats with five goals and 12 points. 

"It was a great comeback win for us," head coach Sarah McClellan said. "All of our goals were good hustle plays ... not giving up. The team stayed committed to our game plan and even though we didn't play our best soccer, it was a big-time win on the road in tough conditions. To show that type of grit was impressive." 

The finish was in sharp contrast to the start of the game, when the Catamounts took control off the opening whistle, netting the game's first goal just 3:13 into the contest. Two failed BU clears led to a clear break right up the middle of the box. With BU keeper Gaby Gold charging to cut down the angle, Vermont's initial shot banked off the bottom of the left post. But the Catamounts followed up the shot and tapped in the rebound into an empty net for the 1-0 lead.
O'Neill netted an equalizer with 26:26 left in the first half. She took a throw in from junior forward Samantha Crane on the right, spun and dribbled toward the middle before unleashing a 25-yard left-footed shot, which was deflected by a Vermont defender into the left corner of the net.

Vermont made it 2-1 when after another missed clear attempt, an attacker curled into the box a step ahead of her mark, took a pass and beat Gold to the left corner.

But BU continued to battle and cashed in on an O'Neill-to-Rice combination with 15:45 left in regulation. In the middle of the field, O'Neill sent a beautiful right-footed chip over the top to a charging Rice. With the Vermont keeper racing toward the free ball, Rice got a touch on the ball and sent it through the keeper's legs into the open net for her third goal of the campaign. 

Gold preserved the tie with 4:25 remaining when she dove to her left to deflect a hard shot. She played the entire game and made five saves. 

In the first overtime, BU worked with the strong wind in its favor and pinned Vermont in its final third for most of the session. Senior midfielder Emily Nuss had two chances - the first of which was a 25-yard blast that the Vermont keeper deflected off the crossbar with 7:50 left. Nuss had another solid effort on a trap, spin and volley. Crane had an open look from 14 yards but shot high and junior forward Stephani Church had another chance that went wide after a determined play from Crane on the endline.

But playing against the wind in the second overtime, the Bearcats kept up their pressure and with O'Neill's heroics, improved to 8-4 all-time against Vermont.

Binghamton held a 16-15 edge in shots.