VESTAL, N.Y. - Having already clinched a top-four spot and host role for its opening playoff game, Binghamton women's soccer will push for a No. 2 seed and first-round bye when the Bearcats (10-3-4, 4-2-1 America East) host Hartford (8-7-2, 4-2-1 AE) in the regular season finale at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Sports Complex. 

The Bearcats and Hawks are tied for second place in the standings with 13 points, behind only New Hampshire (16 pts.). A BU win over Hartford would give the Bearcats the No. 2 seed and bye into a home semifinal game on Oct. 29. A tie, coupled with a Stony Brook loss in their game at Vermont, would also give BU the second spot as the Bearcats hold the tiebreaker advantage. 

Binghamton punched its postseason ticket with a dramatic 1-0 double overtime win at Maine on Thursday. Sophomore forward Ryan Reilly netted the game-winner from the right side with just over five minutes left. Reilly took a throw-in from sophomore back Sam O'Malley and netted her fourth goal of the season — and third game-winner.

Though kept off the stat sheet for just the third time in 17 games this season, redshirt junior forward Kayla Saager still leads the America East and ranks 10th in the nation in points (28).  

Senior keeper Katie Hatziyianis (0.85 GAA, 4 shutouts) and freshman Mackenzie Hanna (0.39 GAA, 3 shutouts) have both been strong behind a sturdy back line that has limited opponents to 0.76 goals per game. 

It's the first time BU has reached the 10-win mark since 2005. The Bearcats also currently have their highest win percentage (.706) in the team's 17-year Division I history.  

The team's six seniors will be honored in a pregame ceremony: Jocelyn Acor, Katie Hatziyianis, Emma Maslin, Valerie McNamara, Dominique Russell and Hannah Shankman.     

Hartford has been idle since beating Vermont 1-0 in double overtime last Sunday. The Hawks have scored a league-high 28 goals (1.65/game) and have notched two or more tallies eight times. Since starting out the season 2-5-1, Hartford is 6-2-1.

They have four players with four or more goals, headed by sophomore forwards Kaila Lozada and Bridgette Alexander who have six apiece. Sophomore midfielder Sierra Stone has four goals and a team-best five assists. In net freshman Maia Perez sports a 1.22 goals against average with three shutouts. 

Hartford leads the all-time series 8-6-1, thanks to seven straight wins. Last year in West Hartford, the Hawks pounded BU 5-0. The last Bearcats win in the series came in 2009 (1-0). 


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