ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – Two times the Binghamton men's lacrosse team had faced St. Bonaventure in its history. In both instances, the Bearcats prevailed in overtime.

The third meeting between these two programs proved no different.

This time, it was Gavin Jacobsen who scored the golden goal to help Binghamton defeat St. Bonaventure in overtime 6-5 Tuesday at the Tom 80' and Michelle Marra Athletics Field Complex. The victory is the Bearcats' fourth win in a row this season, helping the team reach .500 for the first time this year and erase an 0-4 start in the process.

"It was another hard-fought battle versus St. Bonaventure," said Binghamton Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Kevin McKeown. "I thought both goalies played fantastic. Also credit their defense for making it tough on us."

Binghamton found itself in another defensive battle, as the two in-state foes played to a scoreless tie at the end of the first quarter. The opening strike came courtesy of the Bearcats with 10:15 left in the second, when Nick Cartmill picked up a rebound on a shot by Jack Mellen and scored his second goal in as many games. 

48 seconds later, Colin DeLay scored his second goal of the year to extend Binghamton's lead to 2-0 at 9:27. Jacobsen completed the scoring in the first half with his third goal of the season with 1:33 left in the frame, as Binghamton went into halftime up 3-0. Connor Winters stopped all nine shots he faced in the first 30 minutes.

The Bonnies got the first goal in the third quarter when Jaxon Dillon intercepted a pass from Winters before sending the ball to Patrick Shannahan, who scored to make it 3-1 Bearcats at 13:32. Tyler Martini got the goal back for the Bearcats, however, when he sprinted towards the net before firing in his third goal of the season at 3:30. Binghamton went into the fourth quarter leading 4-1.

The final quarter of regulation saw St. Bonaventure make its charge by scoring four unanswered goals. Kellen Pulera, Cole Tucker, Conor Murphy and Anthony Cimino each recorded a goal in the first 10 minutes of the quarter to give the Bonnies a 5-4 lead with 5:27 remaining.

Facing their first deficit of the game, the Bearcats looked to get up off the mat and regain the lead. Their break came with just less than two minutes left. After causing a turnover to help Binghamton regain possession, Liam Ferris scored his first goal of the game to tie the bout 5-5 at 1:56. Binghamton's defense then made a crucial stop in the final minute to send the game into overtime.

In the extra frame, Winters denied a shot on the Bonnies' opening possession to help the Bearcats retake control of the ball. Binghamton would not give it back for the final two and a half minutes of the game. The Bearcats registered seven shots during that span, including two on goal to reset the shot clock each time. Finally, with time winding down, DeLay drove toward the net before passing the ball to Jacobsen, who finished the game with his second goal of the day with nine seconds remaining.

"I certainly wish we had held the lead in the fourth quarter, but credit to our guys for coming back after they went on a run with four straight goals," said McKeown. "Connor Winters played great in the net, and it was awesome to see Gavin score the OT winner."

Other Highlights
•    This is Binghamton's first win in overtime this season. Victories in overtime became common for the Bearcats in 2024, when they won three out of their four games that went to the extra frame.
•    The Bearcats have recorded winning streaks of at least four games in each of their last three seasons. Binghamton previously won four games in a row from March 11 through April 1 in 2023, and then again from March 23 through April 13 of 2024.
•    Tuesday was the first time that Jacobsen scored at least two goals in a game for his collegiate career. The junior went into the game with three goals throughout his time at Binghamton, including two this season.
•    Winters finished Tuesday's game with a team-high six ground balls, his most in a contest since Binghamton's 2025 season opener at Lafayette on Feb. 10, when he also recorded six that night. Winters is now second on the Bearcats in ground balls with 21, only trailing Nolan Sharkey's 24.

Up Next
Binghamton completes the non-conference portion of its schedule with its first-ever game against Harvard. The bout takes place on Saturday at 1 p.m., at Jordan Field in Cambridge, Mass.

Station 45 American Chop House is the presenting sponsor of Bearcats men's lacrosse.