SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Junior keeper Rebecca Kessler made eight saves for her first shutout of the season and Binghamton women's soccer (4-1-1) kept up its strong start to the season with a 0-0 draw at ACC host Syracuse (3-1-3) Thursday night at rain-soaked SU Soccer Stadium. 

The Bearcats pressed the Orange from the opening whistle, created several near-misses in the first half and finished with a 14-12 shots edge. The tie snapped Binghamton's eight-game losing stretch head-to-head against Syracuse. 

Kessler recorded her career high in saves and had several big stops, including an acrobatic tipped ball off the crossbar in the 25th minute. She lowered her season goals against average to 0.80.

"I can't say enough about the energy and intensity we showed tonight," head coach Neel Bhattacharjee said. "We defended well for the shutout ... the only thing we could have been better was limiting set piece opportunities, which Syracuse is very good at. On the attack, we created some high quality chances and unfortunately couldn't put one away. We will walk away proud but also ultimately dissatisfied with just a tie." 

Binghamton nearly had the goal it needed in the fourth minute when sophomore midfielder Anna Buckwalter struck a 30-yard shot that  banked down off the crossbar and somehow settled on the goal line before being retrieved behind the keeper. Just 30 seconds later, junior midfielder Bella Brown rifled a 32-yard shot that narrowly missed the left post. The Bearcats also were unlucky in the 16th minute when junior back Megan Baker was flattened on the right edge of the 18 before the foul was determined to be just outside the box. The ensuing free kick created a chance at the doorstep after a header from junior back Sophia Garofalo but the Orange recovered.

Sophomore forward and NCAA top-10 goal scorer Jahkaya Davis had an opportunity in the 59th minute but her 14-yard strike from the left side just rolled past the far post. 

Affer owning an 8-3 shots advantage in the first half, the Bearcats withstood some Orange pressure in the second period. Graduate midfielder Olaya Blanco blocked an SU chance from inside eight yards in the 66th minute and in a frantic closing minute of the game, Buckwalter stopped a shot on the goal line after a Syracuse corner kick with 30 seconds left led to the final opportunity of the contest. 

The Bearcats host Colgate Sunday afternoon at the Sports Complex.

NOTES
The 4-1-1 start is Binghamton's best six-game non-conference start since 2017, when Bhattacharjee's team also began 4-1-1 en route to an 11-4-4 season ... the scoreless draw marked just the second time in 13 games that Binghamton has kept Syracuse off the board.