The Binghamton men’s soccer team opened its 2025 America East slate with a 3-2 loss to visiting UNH on Saturday afternoon. Binghamton took control of the game late in the first half and cemented a 2-0 lead early in the second, but a three-goal run in the final 14 minutes of play saw the Wildcats snatch up the victory.

“I thought our strikers weren’t very good today, in build-up play, in possession, holding the ball,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “We played balls in the first part of the game and we were losing most of them.”

The Wildcats (3-4-3, 1-0-0 AE) nearly opened their scoring book in the fourth minute of play, with a header attempt bouncing off the post. Just three minutes later, Binghamton (4-6-0, 0-1-0 AE) created a chance of its own, as junior forward Anthony Randazzo attempted a shot during a one-on-one opportunity that went into the gloves of the opposing keeper.

Maintaining its offensive pressure, a UNH header from inside the box flew just over Binghamton’s net in the ninth minute, maintaining the deadlock.

Both offenses began stalling by the ninth minute, with the two squads making just three shots total. Re-energized by a trifecta of substitutions, a deep-through ball from redshirt freshman back Ryan Conti made its way to a breaking junior forward/midfielder Marcus Nahim, who slotted it past the UNH keeper for a Binghamton score. Despite four shot attempts in the closing minutes of the period by the Wildcats, the Bearcats entered the half with their 1-0 lead intact.

“I thought that [Nahim’s] pace was going to give them an issue,” Marco said. “And it clearly did, that’s how we got the goal.”

After nearly 10 minutes of scoreless play to open the second half, the Bearcats took advantage of commotion in the attacking third as sophomore forward D.T. Megliola headed the ball toward Randazzo, who gave BU a 2-0 lead with his third score in three games. Seconds after the score, a UNH fast break saw them rattle off an attempt that was handily saved by graduate student goalkeeper Daniel Shannon.

“I think that if I had to give any piece of advice to the group right now, [on Bryant’s goal-scoring plays], there are moments that each of them knows they could have been a little bit sharper, a little bit better, had a better starting position,” Marco said.

With only 13 minutes remaining in the match, the Wildcats found their first score of the night, stoking the flames of a comeback in the process. UNH continued to aggressively drive down the pitch, forcing three consecutive corner attempts and shutting down BU’s progression through the midfield.

The Bearcats’ hopes for a win were shattered in the 87th minute, as UNH would score once to even the match, before following up with another score to take a 3-2 lead. The Bearcats created a pair of chances in the final two minutes of play, but they could not find twine, falling 0-1 in AE play.

“I mean, we’re winning the game 2-0,” Marco said. “We shouldn’t have lost the game. The guys have to have a look in the mirror and see. They compete hard, and then there’s competing to win, and that’s where we don’t have it right yet.”

Binghamton will return to nonconference play when it hosts Cornell on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.