Bucknell University
Binghamton
Bison Men's Soccer Drops Season Opener to Binghamton, 3-1
8/26/2011 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 26, 2011
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LEWISBURG, Pa. - Jake Keegan and Adam Whitehead both registered a goal and an assist to help Binghamton spoil Bucknell's season-opener 3-1 Friday night before a spirited crowd at Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium. Luke Joyner (Dallas, Texas/J.J. Pearce) scored for the Bison to tie the game at 1-1, but the Bearcats took the lead back in the final minute of the first half and then tacked on an insurance marker in the second half.
The Bison found themselves trailing 1-0 just 1:18 into the season when Binghamton stunned them with a quick first goal. Keegan took a shot from the left side of the box that struck the far post and caromed back to the front of the goal mouth. A Bucknell defender failed to clear the ball, and Tommy Moon was there to send the rebound into a gaping net.
After the early goal Bucknell controlled play for next half-hour or so, and they finally cashed on a long throw-in from the left sideline by Mayowa Alli(Lanham, Md./Bishop McNamara) that was headed in by Joyner with his back to the goal from the top of the six-yard box.
The Bison seemed poised to go the locker room in a tie game, but a seemingly harmless foul near midfield proved costly. Whitehead sent a long free kick into the box that just missed connecting with the head of a running teammate. But keeper Marc Hartmann(Bradenton, Fla./St. Stephen's) hesitated on whether to play the ball or the would-be header, and the ball sailed untouched off the left post and into the back of the net.
Bucknell had two good scoring opportunities in the first eight minutes of the second half but could not connect. Two minutes in, Andrew Powell (Charlton, Mass./St. John's) just missed on a sliding shot at the back post off a free kick by Ryan Sappington (Barboursville, Va./Shattuck-St. Mary's). Six minutes later, Vinny Cinotti(Sparta, N.J./Sparta) barely went high with a header after Alli had deftly headed a corner kick back across the face of the goal.
Binghamton produced the all-important insurance goal in the 62nd minute. Whitehead used some fancy juggling around a defender to get the ball to Keegan, who scored with a low shot from about 16 yards out to make it 3-1.
With 10 minutes to play Bucknell's Brendan Burgdorf(Westfield, N.J./Pingry School) headed in a free kick, but the goal was taken off the board on an offsides call. Powell had another great look at the right post with 4:30 left but just went wide, and Binghamton was able to run out the clock.
Bucknell finished with a 17-11 shot advantage, led by Powell's four attempts. Tommy Caso(Phoenix, Md./McDonogh) played the second half in goal and finished with three saves, while Hartmann had one stop in the first half. Chris Hayen made two saves for the Bearcats. Bucknell had nine corner kicks to eight for Binghamton.
The Bison are back in action at home next Thursday, Sept. 1 against Saint Francis (Pa.).
