LOWELL, Mass. - Redshirt junior forward Kayla Saager scored in the 79th minute to lift Binghamton women's soccer (9-3-4) to a 1-1 tie with host UMass Lowell (5-5-5, 2-2-2) Sunday night at Cushing Field.

The River Hawks  benefited from a penalty kick call to score in the 25th minute and BU worked hard to finally break through the hosts' defensive perimeter before the teams played a pair of scoreless overtime sessions. Binghamton more than doubled Lowell's shot count (24-11), had nine corner kicks and an assortment of free kicks in response to the hosts' 24 foul calls. 

But BU needed Saager's tally - her conference-best 11th of the season - to come away with a point in the standings. After Sunday's action, the Bearcats sit in fourth place in the America East standings with 10 points, behind UNH (15), Hartford (13) and Stony Brook (12). Binghamton plays at Maine on Thursday before hosting Hartford in the regular season finale on Sunday. 

"That was a competitive match on the road," head coach Neel Bhattacharjee said. "Unfortunately we didn't have the intensity and technical and physical speed we wanted in the first half and that factored in allowing our opponent to have tempo and get a goal. But I was impressed with how we stepped up all facets of the game after halftime and got a goal back. On the night we perhaps created enough quality chances for a winner but our finishing wasn't clinical enough. We will take a well-earned road point and get ready for a talented Maine side."

Saager's goal came off a 35-yard free kick on the left. After freshman forward Genna Michitti got tripped up, Saager ripped a shot that carried over the Lowell keeper and banked down off the crossbar over the line. Saager has collected at least one point in 15 of 16 games this season and entered the game ranked No. 1 in the conference and ninth in the nation in points.

Freshman keeper Mackenzie Hanna made seven saves, including several big stops. Midway through the first overtime, Hanna leaped to tip a shot just over the crossbar. Earlier in the game, she came out to smother a breakaway thru ball. 

The River Hawks got their goal after one of their forwards got tangled up with a BU defender on the left side of the box and both players hit the ground. The whistle blew and Lowell converted the 12-yard kick. 

NOTES
The Bearcats are bidding for a return to the postseason after a two-year drought. The top-six teams after next Sunday's games advance with the top two earning byes into the semifinals and the Nos. 3 and 4 teams gaining home quarterfinal games. 


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