VESTAL, N.Y. - After an outstanding 10-game non-conference opening to the 2017 season, Binghamton women's soccer (6-1-3) turns its attention to the rugged America East slate on Sunday when the Bearcats begin conference play at New Hampshire (6-3). Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Bremner Field in Durham.

The Bearcats have lost just once in their first 10 games for the first time in 21 years - since the 1996 Division III team started 9-1 en route to a 17-2 season. Head coach Neel Bhattacharjee's squad, which typically starts four sophomores and three freshmen, has been particularly effective on the road, going 4-0-2 away from home. On the team's current seven-game road stretch, BU is 3-0-2 with two more away games before returning to the Bearcats Sport Complex to start October.

In the team's last outing, BU pumped in three second-half goals and blanked host LIU 3-0 last Sunday. Redshirt junior forward Kayla Saager, junior midfielder Patty Loonie and freshman forward Essie Bonney scored as Binghamton enjoyed its highest scoring output of the season. 

Saager (7-5=19 pts.) ranks sixth in the nation in points, 13th in goals and 17th in assists. She has contributed at least one point in nine of 10 games. 

Senior keeper Katie Hatziyianis has tied a school record with three straight shutouts, lowering her season goals against average to 0.77. 

Binghamton was picked to finish eighth (of nine) in the America East Preseason Poll. New Hampshire, a perennial playoff team, was chosen third.

The Wildcats have won two in a row following a loss to nationally-ranked Princeton. New Hampshire blanked Army (2-0) on the road on Thursday and then returned home to shut out Northeastern (1-0) in the team's last outing on Sunday. The only common opponent BU and UNH share is LIU. The Wildcats beat LIU 2-0 in their season opener and one month later, BU delivered its 3-0 win. 

New Hampshire boasts 20 returning letterwinners from a team that lost in the America East semifinals. Highlighting the group is two-time reigning America East Striker of the Year Brooke Murphy, who entered the season with 33 career goals and 75 career points. She has already added six goals to her career total this fall and sits right behind Saager in points and goals among the conference leaders. Senior keeper Mia Neas has three shutouts and a 0.89 goals against average.

UNH leads the all-time series by a narrow 7-5-6 margin. Sixteen of the 18 games have been decided by one goal or less. Last season in Vestal, UNH used a first-half goal as the difference-maker in a 1-0 road win. The last time these teams met in Durham it was a lopsided 6-0 win for the Wildcats in 2015.


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