VESTAL, N.Y. – Binghamton women's soccer sure made the most of its nine-day spring break trip to Italy.
The historic international trip, made possible with a generous gift by soccer parents Taryn and Colby Clark, sent the Bearcats abroad from March 28 - April 5. The travel party of 60 players, coaches and families enjoyed a fully-immersive experience that included sightseeing tours, three competitive games and team bonding activities. The exposure to Italian culture and memories shared with teammates and friends will last a lifetime.
The out-of-season international trip, coordinated by ActivSport Travel, was a first of its kind for any Binghamton team during the University's Division I tenure.
The Bearcats arrived in Rome on March 29 and began their experience with an overnight stay in Florence. On their first full day, the team took a bike tour through the city and then faced Roma CF inn evening contest. Twice down by a goal, the Bearcats rallied for a 4-2 win over their Serie C foe. Day two featured a trip south through the Italian countryside with a stop in the beautiful hilltop city of Orvieto and then an evening training session. On April 1, the team enjoyed guided tours of the Colosseum and Roman Forum and split two 45-minute matches at night. Binghamton beat Napoli U19 1-0 and then lost to Abatese FC from Serie C 1-0.
The trip also included a walking tour of Rome and the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon, along with guided tours through Naples and Pompeii.
"Our team had a terrific experience taking in the sights and culture of Italy," head coach
Neel Bhattacharjee said. "We grew as a team playing two competitive scrimmages in new and different environments. We also got to learn about ancient Rome, Pompeii, the Renaissance, and watch a Serie A women's professional league game, all while taking in history and tours through Florence, Rome, and Naples. We are very thankful for the support from Binghamton University and the support from the Clark family. All in all it was a once in a lifetime experience we will always remember and a trip that strengthened our collective team camaraderie and spirit."
The Bearcats returned home and finished their spring slate with scrimmages against Syracuse, Colgate, Rutgers and Cornell.
Binghamton returns to campus on July 15 for preseason. Under Bhattacharjee, the Bearcats have been the most successful America East program over the last four years, with three regular-season titles and just three combined conference losses. This past fall, the Bearcats (10-2-5) set records with a 13-game unbeaten streak (8-0-5) and just one regular-season loss. The team produced a second unbeaten conference season in the last three years. In the last four seasons, the Bearcats are 20-3-9 (77%) - the highest win percentage among all America East members.
