Game #2 vs. Binghamton University (America East)
Info: Sunday, August 25
Vestal, N.Y. | Bearcats Sports Complex | 1:00 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+ ... Live Stats: binghamtonbearcats.com
Binghamton Links: Schedule | Roster | News

Syracuse, N.Y. –  The Le Moyne College men's soccer team will play their first road game of the season on Sunday at Binghamton University in what will be the first meeting between the two sides as Division I programs.

The match is scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff at the Bearcats Sports Complex on ESPN+.

Both the Dolphins and the Bearcats were victorious in their respective season openers on Thursday. Le Moyne claimed a 3-2 win over Canisius in a thrilling back-and-forth match at Ted Grant Field, while Binghamton recorded a 1-0 win at Mount St. Mary's.

The Dolphins scored their first goal of the season just one minute and 29 seconds into their opener, as freshman midfielder Giuliano Michitti (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) stepped up to a loose ball at the top of the box and found the back of the net with a left-footed strike.

Canisius tied the match at 1-1 in the 11^th minute, then freshman forward Rhys Allport (Wirral, England/Reaseheath) gave the Dolphins their second lead of the game in the 40^th minute when he ran onto a cross from junior winger Cameron Stuart (Fulton, N.Y./G. Ray Bodley) and headed the ball into the net.

With Michitti and Allport both registering a goal in their first collegiate match, it marked the second time in the last 21 seasons of Le Moyne soccer that two freshmen scored in the team's season opener.

While Allport's run was well-timed and his header well-taken, he credited the accuracy of Stuart's delivery following the match.

"I saw Cam get the ball, as soon he got it onto his left foot, I know how strong he is on that side, I just thought I'll try to make myself free in between the two defenders," said Allport.  "I did my best to get on the end of it, I'm glad it went in but all about the delivery for me, brilliant ball from Cam and I've said thank you many times to him.

"We see it in training all week, I know how powerful he is on that left foot and I trust him to put balls in like that for me and then I'll just try and do my best to get on the end of it and obviously I was lucky enough to do that [today]," Allport added.

Le Moyne's second lead was short-lived, as the Griffs equalized again less than two minutes later, knotting the score at 2-2 going into halftime.

The Dolphins found the winning goal in the 64^th minute, as senior defender Brady McNulty (San Gabriel, Calif./Niagara) scored his first collegiate goal in his Le Moyne debut.

"I just wanted to get in there on the initial free kick, got in the way of the keeper and the defense, and it just bounced out to me, I just smashed it back in," said McNulty after the game. "Couldn't have done it without the service from Bryce (Koagel) and then Vito (Kreuzpaintner) picking up the second ball, so it was a team effort on that one."

The finish to the match was not without drama, as the Dolphins received a red card in the 75^th minute and had to withstand wave after wave of Canisius attacks as the Griffs pushed for the equalizer. Ultimately Le Moyne protected the lead with all 10 players working tirelessly to protect the goal.

Le Moyne goalkeeper Wyatt Dupell (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) came up with two saves in the final 15 minutes, while sophomore defender Maximilian Huss (Karben, Germany/Elly-Heuss-Schule) knocked a shot away just before it rolled across the goal line.

"Obviously after the goal, the red card comes and then tactics sort of go out the window a little bit and you have to sort of get everyone compact together and it's all about putting your body on the line for the team," said Allport. "I think you could see how much everyone respects everyone around the program, coaching staff especially, we'll all run through brick walls for them, so that last 15 minutes was just a credit to everyone involved."

Le Moyne has now won its season-opening game in six of the last seven years. The lone season-opening loss in that span came last year at Penn State in the program's first-ever Division I contest.

"From our standpoint as a coaching staff we were disappointed to lose the two goals after going one-nil up and then two-one up as well, especially so close to halftime and the manner of the two goals we felt we could have defended them a lot better," said Le Moyne head coach Callum Donnelly '17, M '21 after the match. "But to be fair to the guys, we tried not to focus so much on that going into halftime, we just tried to focus on resetting us, trying to get after them a little bit more, a little bit higher up the park to isolate our wingers. And then what happens at the end, with our guy getting sent off, it's just about thickening and the guys showed a bit of character which is great to see.

Donnelly on playing down a man for the final 15 minutes: "It's extremely difficult, especially against a good team like Canisius who keep the ball pretty well, so we knew we were going to have to work really hard, we were going to have to give up some wider areas in the park. Knowing today, the first game of the season, our fitness isn't where we want it to be but as I said, grinding it out at the end is sometimes just the fight, the desire to try and keep the win that you've got and I think the boys showed that which was really pleasing, but we've got a lot of work to do and I think as a group we can still become fitter as a unit."

Donnelly on having three player score in their Le Moyne debut:  "I think it shows that we're deep, deeper than last season in terms of just having a bigger squad, which is good. I think boys have taken their opportunities in preseason and tried to impress us as a coaching staff, but it's just about guys coming on, making an impact. We tried to reiterate the message at the start, 'Don't get your head down if you're not starting the game because you could come on and win it, you could come on and make an impact'. And to be fair there was a couple guys that didn't come off the bench today but they gave everything on the side to these guys to help cheer them on. And that's what it's about, it's about everyone chipping in from the first to the last and that's what's going to get us through these games and I'm glad we did today."

Donnelly on getting the win in the opener: "I think it's a great way to start but I think we have a lot of work to do to keep improving, to keep working on our shape, to keep working on our fitness. So, I'm obviously pleased with the win but I'm going to go in tonight, watch the game back and then obviously look at things that we need to improve on because I think we've got a lot of improving to do but to start off with a win, I think the guys can hopefully enjoy it a little bit tonight and then we're back to it tomorrow."

Scouting the Bearcats:
Binghamton is led by head coach Paul Marco, who is in his 23^rd season as the program's leader.

The Bearcats went 4-9-3 with a 2-2-3 resume in the America East during the 2023 regular season before besting UMBC in the America East Tournament quarterfinals then falling to Bryant in the semis.

Returning midfielders Marcus Nahim and Alex Balkey were both named to the 2023 America East All-Rookie Team, and the Bearcats also brought back both of their goalkeepers (Dylan McDermott and Jack Root) that saw action last season.

Junior midfielder Calvin Moe and redshirt-sophomore defender Cailen Thomas, who scored two goals each during the 2023 campaign, are the Bearcats' top returning points leaders.

During the 1-0 win over Mount St. Mary's, junior defender Luke Yates scored the winning goal in the 83^rd minute with an assist from senior midfielder Billy Clark.

Binghamton outshot the Mountaineers by a tally of 8-1 during the final 45 minutes. McDermott started in goal for the Bearcats and needed to make just one save to record the clean sheet.

Binghamton was picked seventh out of eight teams in the America East men's soccer preseason poll, and they did not have a player named to the league's preseason all-conference squad.

The America East had three schools qualify for the 2023 NCAA Tournament in Bryant, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Up Next:
Following Sunday's game at Binghamton, the Le Moyne men's soccer team will play at Syracuse University on Monday, September 2, then they will host University of Delaware at Ted Grant Field on September 7.