Jorge Torres scored early, and Keith McKenna scored in the second to tie it, but the Seawolves could not put together the winning formula, playing to a tie with the Binghamton Bearcats 2-2 on Thursday night at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. “We just didn’t play well enough to deserve the three points today,” coach Anatol said.
The Seawolves were statistically dominated in the first half of the game, being outshot 8-3 by Binghamton, and could not generate a goal after Torres scored his first of the season with 26:29 to go in the first half. The ball was punched out by the keeper Stefano Frantellizzi and it rolled to Torres 30 yards out who put it home in the top left-hand corner.
The Bearcats would answer late in the half. “We just didn’t respond well to their pressure,” coach Anatol said. That would lead to the goal by Steven Celeste with 7:29 to go in the first half. A long through ball took a bounce and Celeste chested it and put it hard and low into the bottom left corner of the net, past the reach of goalie Carlos Villa to bring the game even at 1.
Binghamton would be the first to score in the second half, as Ben Nicholson sent in a corner from the left side. Robbie Hughes got his head to it, putting it home for his second of the year and giving the Bearcats a 2-1 lead with 41:13 to play in regulation. “You can’t win games by letting teams score off of restarts and long through balls,” coach Anatol said.
His team would answer 3:12 later, when Martin Giordano put in a low cross from just inside the right side of the box, and that found the foot of Keith McKenna, who scored his third goal in three games to tie the match at 2, and finish the scoring for the game.
The Seawolves would generate a great opportunity in both overtimes, only to let both slip by. The first was late in the first overtime, when a cross into the box could not reach the foot of McKenna who already scored once in the game, and the scrum in front was cleared.
In the second overtime, with 7:50 left, Stony Brook had a corner kick from the left side. Shane Wixted took it and it found the foot of Martin Giordano who had his shot cleared off the line by a Binghamton defender, and that found Alejandro Fritz. Fritz’s shot was blocked in front and the ball was cleared away.
Binghamton would also have a great opportunity, as Derrick Ladeairous crossed a ball in and that was punched out by Villa, and arrived at the feet of Vlad Finn. Finn would blast it right into the oncoming Villa from 10 yards out with just under a minute to play, and the tie was preserved.
The Seawolves and Bearcats are both now 1-1-1 in America East play, and the Seawolves earned their first tie of the season, approaching 5-6-1.
