VESTAL, N.Y. - Riding a five-game unbeaten streak and off to the program's best start in eight years, Binghamton women's soccer (5-1-2) begins America East play by hosting UMBC (4-3-3) at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Bearcats Sports Complex. 

Binghamton is the preseason co-favorite and has rattled off five wins in non-conference play. The Bearcats will close their season with eight league games over a six-week span. The top six teams advance to the America East tournament, which begins with quarterfinals on Nov. 2. Head coach Neel Bhattacharjee's program has made six straight postseason appearances and has earned two regular season titles in the last three seasons. Binghamton has lost just three regular season conference games in the last three years combined. 

The Bearcats rank No. 71 (out of 350) in the NCAA RPI, making Binghamton the highest-rated America East program and among the top 20 percent in the nation. The Bearcats sit just ahead of Missouri (SEC) and Pitt (ACC) in the ratings. 

Despite an injury-plagued back line, Binghamton has allowed just eight goals in eight games and has two shutouts in its last three contests. Up front, sophomore Jahkaya Davis and junior Paige Luke are tied atop the conference with 12 points. Davis leads the league with five goals and Luke leads with four assists. Junior keeper Rebecca Kessler is the reigning America East Defensive Player of the Week and has a paltry 0.86 goals against average. She leads the conference in GAA and ranks second in save percentage (.833). 

UMBC is coming off a 3-0 loss at Navy last Sunday but had gone unbeaten in three previous games (1-0-2). The Retrievers own victories over Mercyhurst, Iona, Longwood and Robert Morris and are one win away from matching their total from all of last season. Freshman midfielder Zoe Brossman leads the team with three goals and seven points. UMBC has used three goalies thus far, with graduate Kalli Williams appearing in all 10 games and boasting a 0.92 goals against average. 

The Bearcats hold a commanding 18-2-2 lead in the all-time series, but needed a ferocious rally last October to post a 4-3 win in Baltimore. In that game, Lauren Clark scored the game-winner with just 24 seconds left to cap an improbable comeback after Binghamton fell behind 3-0 just seven minutes into the contest. Davis netted two goals before Clark played hero with her highlight-reel, back-heel game-winner. The Bearcats have lost just once at home in the series (8-1-1) and have outscored UMBC 12-2 in the last four home matchups.