The Binghamton men's soccer team is ready to turn the page on a difficult 2025 campaign. Marred by several injuries before the start of last season - as well as a scoring drought late in the year - the Bearcats missed qualifying for the America East Tournament for the first time since 2021.

Longtime head coach Paul Marco retired during the offseason and Tommy Moon was named the interim head coach during the spring semester. A 2014 Binghamton alum, Moon has been part of the Bearcats' since he graduated and was the Associate Head Coach the last two seasons.

During the spring semester, six new players joined the program and the Bearcats were able to reset as a unit. They went undefeated in their spring matches and several players went on to play on their summer teams. The Bearcats returned to campus in early August, healthy, fit and ready to launch a new beginning for the program. 

"I think the word that can best be described about our team right now is excitement," Moon said. "We had a really good spring and the guys came back fit and ready to go this month. There is a lot of motivation right now and we are looking forward to getting going this season."

Moon was a starting midfielder and all-conference selection during his career with the Bearcats. Playing on the attack was a strength of his and he has made that part of his coaching philosophy.

"I am a very attack-minded, possession-oriented coach," he said. "We want to control possession and dictate play. We want to get into the opponent's 18-yard box more and create scoring chances. Also, we want to be a collectively organized team that is very hard to break down defensively."

While Moon and his staff have definite game-plans in place, they are encouraging the players to take chances on their own while following the model.

"I want our players to be able to express themselves and have freedom within the game," he said. "I encourage our guys to be creative, try things and compete hard while following our model for the games."

GOALKEEPERS 

Junior Connor Cresswell, who started in a pair of matches last season, is the Bearcats lone returner. He is joined by a pair of transfers in redshirt sophomore Trevor Carr and senior Natan Jemaneh Admassu. Carr arrives from Stony Brook, having been part of the squad the past two seasons. Admassu, meanwhile, comes from Wright State where he started in four matches during his career.

"All three of our goalkeepers bring different skill sets," Moon said. "They have all been working together since the spring and have been both competitive and supportive of each other."

BACKS 

Graduate student Will Mahoney and junior Ryan Gillon both started in 14 matches last season. Mahoney returns as the team captain for the second straight season. He tallied three assists in 2025 and was named to the America East All-Academic Team. Gillon, meanwhile, finished with a goal and an assist last year and was named to the America East All-Rookie Team in 2024. 

Senior Saar Almoznino made six starts last season while redshirt sophomore Ryan Conti was in the starting team three times. Sophomore Ben Church also returns in the backfield.

A pair of transfers highlight the five newcomers on defense. Junior Khayr Ogunsanya arrives from Providence College of the BIG EAST while fellow junior Evan Chrysostomou appeared in 27 matches for Hofstra of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) the past two seasons.

Freshman Jona Meiner arrives from Munich, Germany having played 10 years in the NLZ Youth Academy. Fellow freshman Jack Costa hails from Garden City, N.Y., where he helped lead Garden City High School to a pair of state championships. Arriving from Vienna, Va., meanwhile, is redshirt freshman Will Saxon, who was named second-team All-Met by the Washington Post during his career at McLean High School. 

"We set a really good foundation for our defense during the spring," Moon said. "We look to build upon that during the fall. Our returners have improved and our newcomers as a group bring both experience and potential."

MIDFIELD

Senior Alex Balkey is the top returner, having started in 16 matches last season. He finished the season with two goals and an assist and as a freshman in 2023, was chosen to the America East All-Rookie Team. Graduate student Gaven Egan is a two-year starter and scored three times during the 2024 campaign. Sophomore Jasper Cox appeared in three matches as a reserve.

Looking to move into a key role in the midfield, meanwhile, is redshirt freshman Zach Bonuito. His freshman year was used as a developmental year and he now looks ready to break onto the scene for his sophomore season. Also aiming to step on to the field for the first time as a Bearcat is redshirt junior Itai Levisman, who was also hurt all of last season.

The rest of the Bearcats' midfielders are freshmen. Parker Moses was an United Soccer Coaches (USC) All-American at nearby Maine-Endwell High School while Noah Osei-Tutu arrives from Westbury, N.Y., have been named All-Nassau County during his senior year at Jericho High School. Hailing from Limassol Cyprus, meanwhile, is Anninos Nicolaou, who was part of his country's U15, U16, U17 and U19 squads.

"Our midfield is a good technical group," Moon said. "They have very good technique on the ball and all eight of them are very versatile and can play in several positions."

FORWARDS

The Bearcats' most experienced unit is the strikers. Senior Anthony Randazzo had an injury-plagued first part of last season but still ended up with four goals and was named the America East Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 9, 2025. Fellow senior Marcus Nahim tallied a team-best five assists in 2024 and was named to the America East All-Rookie Team in 2023. Junior D.T. Megliola, meanwhile, dished out four assists last season.

Senior Jamie Howell was a reserve last season but is looking to have more of a key role this season. Sophomore Henry Topp appeared in four matches during his rookie campaign.

Joining the forward this season are freshman Jan Guma and redshirt freshman Alex Lorenz. Guma arrives from Barcelona, Spain, having been the leading scorer last year in the Division of Honor and also representing his country at the U19 and U21 levels. Lorenz, meanwhile, hails from Wyckoff, N.J. but spent last season in Germany and was the leading scorer on his Nike Youth Camp team. 

"Anthony and DT are the focal points up front and Marcus and Jamie are both healthy this year," Moon said. "We are looking to control the attack more this season and we have a good group to do it with."

SCHEDULE

Binghamton's 2026 schedule, which begins with an Aug. 20 match at Mount St. Mary's (Md.). The 16-match slate includes eight home dates at the Bearcats Sports Complex as well as seven America East contests.

Three days after meeting the Mountaineers, the Bearcats will host George Washington on Aug. 23 in their home opener. Other non-conference home matches are against Colgate (Sept. 2), Central Connecticut (Sept. 5), Le Moyne (Sept. 12) and St. Bonaventure (Oct. 5). On the road, Binghamton's non-conference opponents include Lafayette (Aug. 26), Hofstra (Sept. 19) and Cornell (Sept. 22).

Binghamton's first two America East matches are on the road - with back-to-back trips to NJIT (Sept. 26) and New Hampshire (Oct.3). Following home dates against UMass Lowell (Oct. 10) and UMBC (Oct. 17), the Bearcats travel to Bryant (Oct. 25) and Vermont (Oct. 30). Binghamton then wraps up its regular season at home against UAlbany (Nov. 3).

The top six teams in the eight-team conference will qualify for the America East Tournament - with the top two seeds earning first-round byes. The quarterfinals are set for Nov. 7, followed by the semifinals on Nov. 11 and the finals on Nov. 15.