Men’s soccer opened the fall 2026 semester with a solid start to the season. Though Thursday night’s match against Mount St. Mary’s ended in a scoreless draw, both teams played a tenacious game.

With a handful of returning players and several new additions to the roster, Binghamton is still working to establish its identity under interim head coach Tommy Moon. The non-conference game is the team’s first since Moon was named to the position.

Searching for its first win since last September, the Bearcats came into opening night with early momentum and an aggressive approach. Senior forward/midfielder Marcus Nahim attempted his first solid shot of the evening, but it was blocked by Mount St. Mary’s defense, while his next shot sailed over the net. Graduate student back Will Mahoney also showed great power throughout the game by regaining possession of the ball from Mount St. Mary’s in the midfield.

The Bearcats earned a corner with only three minutes remaining in the first half, but the period ended with back-and-forth play and the score remained 0-0. Going into the second half, both teams combined had accumulated 11 fouls and three yellow cards.

Binghamton pushed to create more scoring opportunities by executing a meticulous sequence in front of Mount St. Mary’s goal, getting two attempts at goal before being stopped by the Mountaineers’ keeper. Mount St. Mary’s worked on an offense of their own, taking multiple shot attempts that were all successfully blocked by senior goalkeeper Natan Jemaneh Admassu.

In the final 15 minutes of the tight match, the Bearcats played with as much power as possible in hopes of a goal. Binghamton earned a final corner kick with approximately 90 seconds remaining, but the match ultimately ended in a draw.

“We created a lot of chances up front but just weren’t able to finish them,” Moon said. “Still, tonight showed that we will be extremely competitive going forward.”

The perfect chilly evening allowed for a brisk pace of play and an intense match between two strong teams. Although Binghamton was unable to secure a victory in the first game of the season, they had a strong showing, leading Mount St. Mary’s in total shots, corner kicks and overall possession percentage.

Thursday’s game was an opportunity for the team to stretch out and break into the season. With both newcomers and experienced players, Binghamton will look to find their synergy as the 2026 campaign continues.

The Bearcats’ next match will be held Sunday, Aug. 23, against George Washington University at the Bearcats Sports Complex.