VESTAL, N.Y. - Junior forward Paige Luke headed home a pair of second-half goals and Binghamton women's soccer (10-1-3, 5-0-1 America East) blanked visiting UAlbany 3-0 Thursday night at the Bearcats Sports Complex.

With the win, the Bearcats extended their unbeaten streak to 11 games, second-longest in the nation, and kept their hold on first place in the America East with two regular-season games remaining. Binghamton improved to 6-0 at home this season. The Bearcats also officially clinched the program's seventh straight tournament berth, though the team is eying a larger postseason prize.

The Bearcats led 1-0 at half and held that slim margin midway through the second half before Luke erupted for two goals in a 8:37 span to put the game away. In the 72nd minute, sophomore Jahkaya Davis drew a corner after some good dribble work on the left side. Classmate Anna Buckwalter sent the corner into the six, where Luke rose above the UAlbany keeper and headed it down over the goal line before a Great Danes defender could clear.

Then in the 80th minute, Buckwalter fed a wide open junior wing back Megan Baker on the right. Baker took a touch before sending in a perfect cross inside the six, where Luke met it with another close-range header. The goals were numbers five and six for Luke, who already leads the conference with six assists but now took over the lead in points per game (1.29).

Buckwalter opened the scoring with a 16-yard strike in the 35th minute. After graduate midfielder Olaya Blanco began the play by pushing a ball forward to Buckwalter, she fed freshman Grace McCasland down the left side. McCasland beat her mark and cut a ball back to the top of the box, where Buckwalter took a touch and then drilled a left-footer to the far corner for her third goal of the season. It was McCasland's first collegiate point. 

Binghamton enjoyed a 23-1 shots margin and had nearly 60 percent of the game's possession but it was still a one-goal game before Luke's surge.  

"You could feel the energy change early in the second half," head coach Neel Bhattacharjee said. "At half, we talked about attacking more and putting our opponent on their heels by using space more, especially on the flanks. Once we did that it shifted the game and I felt like we were able to roll from there. I'm really pleased with the performance."    

Junior keeper Rebecca Kessler and the Bearcats back line notched their second straight shutout. Kessler wasn't called on to make a save and saw her season goals against average dip to 0.83 with her fourth shutout. 

Binghamton plays its final regular-season road game Sunday at New Hampshire. 

NOTES
The Bearcats sit atop the America East standings with 16 points but second-place Vermont is also unbeaten (4-0-1, 13 pts.), having played one fewer game to date. The two teams meet on Senior Day Oct. 26 in Vestal ... Binghamton has a bye during the final night of the regular season (Oct. 30).