The Binghamton women’s soccer team returned home on Sunday to play its final regular-season game of the 2025 season, earning a draw against Vermont on Senior Day. With the result, the Bearcats secured the No. 1 seed in the America East tournament and their third regular-season title in four years.

“Love this team, love these kids in terms of how they compete and how they grind,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “If there’s one bittersweet moment, we were going for the full win, as always. We don’t really know how to play for ties, but we’ll take the result.”

Binghamton (10-1-5, 5-0-3 AE) played aggressive offense out of the gate, with sophomore forward Jahkaya Davis immediately taking a shot during the opening minute of the game, with the ball bouncing off the left post. The Catamounts (6-4-5, 4-1-2 AE) responded quickly with a shot of their own, but a save from junior goalkeeper Rebecca Kessler prevented them from finding the back of the net.

The two teams continued to drive up and down the field before junior defender/forward Megan Baker delivered a ball into the box for Davis, who found Binghamton’s first goal of the match in the ninth minute of play. Binghamton continued to attack Vermont’s territory, but the Catamounts’ back line held strong.

“At first I thought it was gonna go back post,” Davis said. “But I saw it slowly rolling in front of me, and I quickly had a burst of speed and tried to finish.”

Following a trifecta of substitutions in the 30th and 31st minutes, the Bearcats shifted to a more defensive style of play, staving off their opponents in their backline. Vermont rattled off its second shot of the game in the 24th minute, but remained scoreless after the shot sailed right. The teams continued to trade possessions, with Vermont registering another shot on goal in the 36th minute, which Kessler once again saved.

As the clock wound down on the half, Vermont failed to find twine, leaving them scoreless to enter the second half. The Catamounts held more shots than the Bearcats with nothing to show for it.

“I think we lost a little bit in terms of the intensity in the play toward the end of the first half,” Bhattacharjee said. “We knew the second half was going to be a little bit back and forth, but every day, every week, they find a way. We’ve got the quality, which is one thing in terms of having talent, but it’s really the mindset, how competitive they are, how resilient they are. These kids just continue to fight.”

Vermont first maintained control of the ball to open the second half, applying pressure on Binghamton’s backline, but was unable to register any shots. The Bearcats then began playing more aggressively, driving toward the Catamounts, but they too did not register any shots as Vermont held them off.

After a substitution from the Bearcats, Davis once again drove up the field, shaking multiple defenders, but did not find the net. Vermont continued to apply pressure and finally found its tying goal of the game in the 67th minute, hitting the top right corner of the net.

Binghamton attempted to respond with a pair of shots from Davis and junior midfielder/forward Paige Luke, but both were saved by Vermont’s goalkeeper. The Bearcats generated another chance at a goal thanks to a free kick from junior defender Sophia Garofalo, but the shot was once again saved.

As the final ten minutes of the match approached, the Bearcats played more aggressively once again, applying pressure to their opponents’ backline with little to show for it. The team registered another shot in the 82nd minute that soared over the net, but it could not muster any more goals as the clock expired.

“This group is really special,” Garofalo said. “I feel like we’re all just a group of best friends. We went out here today knowing what we really had to get done, and we’re just such a tight-knit group this year, and everything’s just working out because of how close we are.”

With the tie against Vermont, the Bearcats have secured a bye week during the first slate of postseason play. Their next game will be on Thursday, Nov. 6, for the AE Semifinals. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.