VESTAL, N.Y. - Senior keeper Nicole Scott, inserted just for the penalty kick shootout, made three straight saves to propel No. 1 seed Binghamton women's soccer (9-5-4) past No. 5 Albany (7-8-5) Thursday night at the Bearcats Sports Complex. The teams tied 3-3 after 110 minutes before BU advanced via shootout 3-2. Binghamton now will play in the America East championship game for the second time in the last three years when it hosts No. 2 New Hampshire at 2 p.m. Sunday with an NCAA berth at stake.

In a riveting game that featured six goals, three lead changes and a heart-stopping shootout, it was Scott who played hero. A reserve for much of her career and on BU's bench for the full regulation and 20 minutes of overtime, Scott was inserted by head coach Neel Bhattacharjee and responded by stopping three of four penalties. Her final outstretched save sealed Binghamton's 3-2 edge in the shootout. 

"This game had a little bit of everything," Bhattacharjee said. "I give our kids so much credit. That result was so much heart and effort. We could've sunk when we gave up the third goal (to tie the game in the first OT) but you saw our kids fighting and competing. They didn't want to walk off this field without a win. They want to do this for their teammates and keep this season going. You get to this point in the season and it's about surviving and advancing and that's what we did tonight."

Senior midfielder Olivia McKnight scored twice (her seventh and eighth of the season) and twin sister Victoria McKnight added two assists to pace the Bearcats. America East Striker of the Year Maya Anand netted her 11th goal of the season. Sophomore keeper Kaitlyn Williams made eight saves, including a point-blank leg stop with six minutes remaining in regulation that kept the game tied.

Olivia McKnight opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a close-range volley off a cross from sophomore Peyton Gilmore. Binghamton had several excellent scoring chances to stretch its lead (14-4 shots) but instead took a 1-0 edge into halftime. The Great Danes struck for two goals in a 10-minute span early in the second half to grab a 2-1 lead and BU was on its heels for a period of time. But in the 80th minute, Victoria McKnight sent in a bullet cross from the right that Anand redirected with her head into the far corner for the equalizer. 

Deadlocked at 2-2, the teams headed into 20 full minutes of overtime (no golden goal) and the Bearcats struck first. The McKnight sisters teamed up for a beautiful tally 3:42 into the first extra period. Olivia dribbled through traffic after a throw in and then fed a ball into the box for Victoria, who collected, spun and sent a square ball off to the right, where Olivia ran onto it and delivered a shot to the lower left for a 3-2 lead. But Albany countered with a goal in the 99th minute. Neither team could finish several dangerous opportunities in the second overtime.

After Albany began the shootout with a goal, BU responded with PK goals by Olivia McKnight, junior back Lexi Vegoda and junior midfielder Molly McClelland. Up 3-2, Scott then stopped back-to-back shots to seal the triumph and set off a team celebration in front of a vocal crowd of 400+, including dozens of fellow student-athletes.

New Hampshire advanced with a 2-1 win over visiting Maine.