VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton women's soccer plays the first of two straight against Power 4 foes when the unbeaten Bearcats (3-0-2) host Syracuse (3-1-2) Thursday night. The teams meet for the sixth straight year at 6:07 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex. 

Binghamton will carry two prominent streaks into the contest against the Orange. Head coach Neel Bhattacharjee's squad has an 18-game regular-season unbeaten streak (11-0-7) that dates back one full calendar year to August 2025. Included in that streak is a scoreless draw at Syracuse last September. Additionally, the Bearcats have posted five consecutive shutouts to open the season - a program and America East record to start a season. After beginning 2026 with three straight convincing wins, Binghamton has played to back-to-back scoreless draws, including a road tie Sunday at Buffalo. 

Senior center back Sophia Garofalo and senior keeper Rebecca Kessler were both honored by the America East after the most recent pair of shutouts with Garofalo earning conference Defensive Player of the Week and Kessler taking home Goalkeeper of the Week accolades. Kessler has played 450 straight minutes without conceding a goal and leads the nation in both shutouts (5) and goals against average (0.00). 

Syracuse is coming off a scoreless home tie with Harvard on Sunday. Before that the Orange were beaten 2-1 by Niagara. Also a sturdy defensive team, Syracuse has four shutouts in six games. The program plays in the daunting 17-team ACC, which currently boasts six of the nation's top-seven ranked teams. The Orange went 5-9-4 last season, with four of those wins coming against non-conference opponents. The program lost its top three scorers and its four-year, record-setting goalkeeper. 

Cuse leads the all-time series 10-1-2 and is unbeaten in the last 10 head-to-head matchups (8-0-2). The lone Bearcat win was a 1-0 road win in 2005. Last September, the teams met in a torrential rainstorm in Syracuse and Kessler made eight saves to earn the shutout. Binghamton outshot the Orange 14-12, including an 8-3 first-half margin when the Bearcats controlled play. 

Bhattacharjee was an assistant at Syracuse from 2011-14. During his Binghamton tenure, the Bearcats have played the Orange to a one-goal margin in four losses before last season's draw. 

After Thursday, Binghamton heads to College Park for a Sunday afternoon tilt at Big Ten member Maryland.  

NOTE
Miller Auto Team is the presenting sponsor of Binghamton women's soccer. Complimentary admission to all home games courtesy of Miller Auto Team.