What’s on the line for the Binghamton men’s lacrosse team against Vermont this weekend is simple: one more game. While the America East postseason isn’t set to begin until Thursday, the Bearcats’ (4-8, 2-3 AE) matchup against UVM (5-9, 3-2 AE) will determine who gets the fourth and final seed in the conference tournament.
In order to find victory against the Catamounts, the BU defense will have to douse a Vermont offense that has scored in double-digits in 10 consecutive matchups this season.
“They’re a very opportunistic team in the extra man and all even so we’ve got to try to keep an eye on that,” BU head coach Scott Nelson said.
Leading the attack for UVM’s opportunistic front field is sophomore attack Cam Milligan and sophomore midfielder Ian MacKay. Milligan currently paces the Vermont offense with 59 total points on the year while MacKay — the 2014 AE Rookie of the Year — is a leader in goals, with 32 so far this season.
“They both score a lot of points,” Nelson said of the duo. “So we’re going to have to stay out of the penalty box, limit transition and watch out for those two guys.”
Back on the Binghamton front, the Bearcats have made every possession matter. Giving up three goals to Stony Brook off of what Nelson dons “turnover shots” — saves made by opposing goalies which turn the ball away from the BU attack — the Bearcats will work against UVM to use their methodical attack as a way to find good angles.
Saturday’s matchup will also double as Senior Day for the Bearcats, who are set to lose their offensive anchors come the close of their 2015 campaign. With the members of the class of 2015 being the first coached entirely under Nelson, the losses of defender Matthew Kopp, midfielders J.T. Hauck, Anthony Lombardo, Emmett O’Hara and attackers Paul O’Donnell and Tucker Nelson — Nelson’s son — will carry an additional weight with the coach.
“It’s an interesting thing for me, having my oldest son’s last home game — so yes, it’s different,” Nelson said. “But like always, I want to see all of them go out in a great way. They’re a great group, they’re a lot of fun, they’re good in the classroom, just great guys […] we would like to see them get a win and keep playing.”
First face-off against Vermont is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.