PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Senior keeper Haylee Poltorak made six saves, including two point-blank stops late in the second overtime, and Binghamton women's soccer earned a 0-0 tie with host Temple (0-1-2) Sunday afternoon at the Temple Sports Complex. With the tie, BU (2-1-1) extends its unbeaten streak to three games. 

The scoreless game wasn't without offensive chances. The Owls held a 16-14 edge in shots and both teams had golden opportunities to score throughout the 110 minutes.

"This was a test we can learn from," head coach Neel Bhattacharjee said. "After a good opening five minutes we had a flat first half and didn't have the sharpness we should expect. The second half and overtime periods were better with more purpose and attack-minded mentality. We need to start matches off better and play a complete 90 minutes for us to get a win." 

Binghamton thought it had won the game late in regulation before an offsides call negated a goal. With 7:11 left, junior forward Maya Anand took a feed from classmate Olivia McKnight on the left, cut to the middle and ripped a hard shot that the Temple keeper dove to block. The rebound squirted out to freshman forward Peyton Gilmore, whose shot was partially blocked. Sophomore Davia Rossi then pounced on it and banged it in the net but the far side linesman waived it off. 

Poltorak then provided the heroics in the second overtime when Temple had the best chance of the game. A free kick from 25 yards out was curled into the box and an Owls header was sent toward the lower right corner. Poltorak extended to make a brilliant one-handed diving save and then she lifted her right leg upward to get a piece of the follow-up shot from two yards out, denying Temple a game-winner on the doorstep.

"That was an insane double save," Bhattacharjee noted. 

Binghamton's best chance in the overtime periods occurred with 6:30 left in the second extra period. Olivia McKnight was in tight on the right side and poised for a shot before former teammate and current Temple defender Erin Theiller cleared away the threat with a slide tackle. After four seasons as a starter at Binghamton, Theiller transferred to Temple for graduate school and now anchors a Owls back line - one that kept BU without a shot on goal for the first half. 

"We have to give credit to Temple's defending, especially with Erin on their back line," Bhattacharjee said. "Our team typically doesn't go an entire half without a shot on goal."

The Bearcats' back line of senior Nicole Scudero, juniors Grace Vittoria and Gabby Piontkowski and sophomores Lexi Vegoda were steady in their own right. Vegoda cleared a Temple scoring chance off the line late in the first half, Vittoria had a big blocked shot late in the second half and Piontkowski tracked back to take possession away inside 10 yards early in the second half. Scudero provided her typical steady work in the middle. Each of the four played the full 110 minutes. 

Binghamton next plays at ACC member Syracuse Thursday night.