VESTAL, N.Y. – Sophomore midfielder Andrew McDonnell scored the winning goal just 44 seconds into the first sudden-death overtime lifting Binghamton (2-4-0) to a 2-1 victory against Lehigh (3-2-0) in a non-conference men's soccer game on Tuesday evening at the Bearcats Sports Complex. The victory is the Bearcats' second ovetime win of the season and comes against a Mountain Hawk team receiving votes in the current United Soccer Coaches (USC) National Poll. 

McDonnell's game-winning goal was set up by Noah Luescher, who finished the game with a goal and an assist. Luescher's initial shot was knocked away by Lehigh goalkeeper Will Smith but the ball came right to McDonnell who was stationed right by the goal line. McDonnell then fired the ball into the net for his first goal of the season.

"The ball got delivered in the box and you never know what is going to happen," he said afterwards. "I saw the ball pop out, got my foot on it and bolted it into the back of the net."

Luescher forced overtime when he converted a free kick in the 88th minute. It was his team-best fourth goal of the season – which is already the most he has scored in a single year.

After a scoreless first half, Josh Luchini put Lehigh up 1-0 in the 59th minute with a blast from the left side of the box. It was his fourth goal of the season – as well as his fourth goal in as many games.

The match was even throughout, with Lehigh finishing with a 9-8 shot advantage. Binghamton finished with a 58-42 percentage in time of possession.

Freshman goalkeeper Mats Roorda made four saves in the winning effort. His biggest save came just seconds after Luescher's goal, when he turned away a blast from Stevo Bednarsky.

"This was a really good match for us tonight," head coach Paul Marco said. "I thought we played really well and that a lot of guys stepped up tonight. Lehigh presented a big challenge for us and had some very good attacking guys and I thought our guys responded quite well."

McDonnell's goal marks the second straight year he has scored a game-winning goal against Lehigh. Last season, his second-half goal propelled the Bearcats to a 2-1 road victory.

Binghamton hosts Monmouth on Saturday at 6 p.m. in its annual Homecoming Game.

NOTES: Luescher finished with three goals in each of his first two seasons. He currently has a team-best nine total points so far this season (four goals and one assist). Three of his goals have come off of free kicks … McDonnell's goal was his first of the season.