VESTAL, N.Y. – Paul Mayer finished with two goals and an assist and Victory Menudier added a pair of assists, powering fifth-ranked New Hampshire (12-0-0, 4-0-0 AE) to a 4-1 win over Binghamton (7-3-1, 2-1-0) in an America East men's soccer game on Saturday night before 1,356 fans on Homecoming Weekend at the Bearcats Sports Complex. The match marked a showdown between the last two unbeaten teams in the America East Conference.
Mayer scored the lone goal in the first half, heading in a shot by Bilal Kimal in the 26th minute. His goal aside, play had been relatively even over the first 45 minutes of play.
Menudier, meanwhile, was the catalyst of a two-goal outburst in the first three minutes of the second half, which gave the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. Linus Falberg scored the first goal and just 50 seconds later, Mayer netted his second goal of the game.
Down by three goals, Binghamton pushed to get back in the match. The Bearcats finally broke through in the 81st minute on a goal by junior forward
Oliver Svalander. He headed in a corner kick by graduate student midfielder
Noah Luescher, trimming the deficit to 3-1.
Svlander, who earlier in the second half hit the post with a shot, now has four goals so far this season. Luescher, meanwhile, has recorded an assist in each of the past two games.
With the Bearcats pressing for another score, the Wildcats iced the game with a breakaway goal by Eli Goldman in the 89th minute. Mayer was credited with the assist.
"I thought we actually played pretty well tonight," head coach
Paul Marco said. "But New Hampshire is a great team and they take advantage of moments. I was very disappointed with how we started the second half but I was proud of the way we battled back after that.
New Hampshire finished with a 15-6 shot advantage – including a 9-3 margin in the second half.
Redshirt junior goalkeeper
P.J. Parker finished with four saves.
Binghamton heads to UMBC on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference match.
NOTES: New Hampshire was the first Top 10 opponent the Bearcats have faced since they played then seventh-ranked UMBC to a scoreless draw on Oct. 26, 2013 … Luescher now has 15 assists during his career, which is the second-highest total during Binghamton's 21-year NCAA Division I era. In addition, Luescher's 49 total points also ranks second during the program's NCAA Division I history.
