Sport-specific news, winter 2022
Men’s basketball season preview
Binghamton men’s basketball made significant strides during a 2021-22 campaign that featured eight conference wins ended with the program’s second semifinal appearance in the last four years. But head coach Levell Sanders thinks this year’s unit, led by first team all-conference selection Jacob Falko and All Defensive Team pick Christian Hinckson and boosted by several impact newcomers, is capable of accelerating BU’s rise in the America East.
“We are much more talented and athletic up and down the roster than last year,” he said. “We have better on-ball defenders, which will help us become a better defensive team. And we are a more together, unified team.”
Men’s basketball signs two recruits
Binghamton men’s basketball has signed two scholastic guards with size and athleticism to National Letters of Intent. Second-year head coach Levell Sanders and his staff landed Evan Ashe (Wake Forest, N.C./The Winchedon School, Mass.) and Max Sims (Tampa, Fla./IMG Academy) and the pair will begin their Bearcat careers next winter.
“We are really happy to be adding student-athletes such as Evan and Max,” Sanders said. “Evan is a really explosive athlete who can play both guard spots. He fits the profile of the type of player that we want to recruit. He is versatile and has the ability to be a really good defender. Max is gonna stretch the floor for us because of his ability to shoot the ball. He will be able to play multiple positions and also defend multiple positions. We need to add shooting to the team so he will be a welcomed addition.”
Men’s basketball picked fourth in preseason poll
Binghamton men’s basketball has been picked to finish fourth in the America East Coaches’ Preseason Poll, the conference announced on Thursday. In addition, senior guard Jacob Falko was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
Coming off a season that yielded eight conference wins (most in 12 years) and a semifinal appearance, the Bearcats (42 pts.) were slotted behind only Vermont (63), Bryant (58) and UMass Lowell (47) in the nine-team rankings. It equals the highest the team has ever been picked in 22 years of America East membership. Previously, the program was picked fourth in 2005-06, 2007-08 and 2016-17. Behind Binghamton was UMBC (40), Albany (25), New Hampshire (23), NJIT (14) and Maine (12).
Women’s basketball signs four recruits
The Binghamton women’s basketball program has announced the signing of four high school standouts as part of the National Letter of Intent (NLI) Early Signing Period. All four players will join the Bearcat program as freshmen next fall.
“Within this dynamic group of incoming freshmen, all of them bring a little something different to the table that will impact our program immediately,” head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord said. “They all are high-character individuals who have a blue-collar work ethic and grit to be successful on and off the court. We talk about culture every day and these young ladies embody everything Binghamton Women’s Basketball is about - Family, Excellence, Community and Passion for Success.” ts
Women’s basketball season preview
A year ago, the Binghamton women’s basketball team battled tough despite dressing only eight players for most of the season. Injuries ravaged the Bearcats but they still finished the regular season strong, winning four of their last five games. In the America East quarterfinals, Binghamton traveled to Vermont and took the host team down to the wire before its season came to an end.
This year, Binghamton has returned to full health and fields a deep and experienced squad. Five seniors, all of whom are in their fourth season, anchor the program. Nine letter winners return and the Bearcats welcome seven new players to the lineup.
Wrestling season preview
The Binghamton wrestling program will start the 2022-23 campaign this Saturday at 3 p.m. The Bearcats welcome Northern Colorado from the Big 12 to the Events Center for the first dual of the season. The Bearcats finished last season 7-11 overall and 5-3 in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA).
“The offseason was great,” said head coach Kyle Borshoff. “The entire team was here training throughout the summer and the fall, so by the time our official preseason started, the guys we’re in great shape already because they were wrestling and lifting every day during the summer. That’s great for our team culture. We’ve got guys staying after practice each day doing extra stuff without being asked.”
Reigning champion baseball releases spring schedule
Binghamton baseball has released its 51-game 2023 schedule and it begins with a three-game set at ACC power Clemson on Feb. 17-19.
The reigning America East champion Bearcats will play their first 12 games on the road in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia before welcoming Lafayette to the Bearcats Stadium Complex on March 17-19. One week later BU begins its 24-game America East slate with a three-game home set against UMass Lowell – the team Binghamton beat to capture the 2022 conference crown.
Women’s lacrosse spring schedule announced
Binghamton women’s lacrosse released its 2023 schedule, which begins on the road against Drexel on Saturday, February 11 at 12:00 p.m. The 15-game slate consists of 10 away games and five home games. The Bearcats welcome Pittsburgh to the Bearcats Sports Complex for the home opener on Thursday, February 16 at 1 p.m. Pittsburgh will be the first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponent to travel to Vestal for a contest.
Men’s soccer reaches America East semifinals
Top-seeded New Hampshire (13-4-0) - ranked No. 22 in the nation - handed fifth-seeded Binghamton (6-9-4) a 3-0 setback in an America East men’s soccer semifinal game on Thursday night at Wildcat Stadium. The loss ended the Bearcats’ deepest postseason run since 2015.
Swimming and diving season preview
Men’s tennis adds key transfer https://bubearcats.com/news/2022/11/21/mens-tennis-mens-tennis-adds-transfer-from-illiniosThe Binghamton swimming & diving teams are set to begin their 2022-23 seasons. The Bearcat men’s team, which won the America East title in 2021, settled for second place last year. The women’s squad, meanwhile, took fourth place for the third straight season. This year, the Bearcats have four home meets. The conference championships, which will be held at WPI for the second straight season, is slated for Feb 22-25.
Softball releases spring schedule
The Binghamton softball program has announced its 2023 spring schedule, which begins with a trip to the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament Feb. 10-12. The 51-game, regular-season slate includes four in-season tournaments as well as eight home dates at the Bearcats Sports Complex.
Softball signs three high school recruits
The Binghamton softball program has received a National Letter of Intent (NLI) from three high school seniors as part of the Early Signing Period. All of them will join the Bearcats as freshmen next fall.
“We are excited to welcome these three student-athletes to the Binghamton softball family,” head coach Jess Bump said. “They will be great additions to our talented group and with their athleticism and versatility, will provide depth defensively all over the field and power to our line-up from both sides of the plate. They are hardworking in the classroom and in between the lines, are passionate about competing and are student- athletes of high character and integrity which will positively impact our program.”
Volleyball earns first-ever regional honors
Volleyball receives national tournament berth https://bubearcats.com/news/2022/11/21/volleyball-accepts-bid-to-nivc.aspxFollowing the team’s record-setting season, volleyball standouts Tsvetelina Ilieva and Giulia Bonifacio have been recognized with regional honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), the association announced Tuesday morning. Ilieva was named honorable mention East Coast All-Region and Bonifacio was selected East Coast Freshman of the Year. Both players are the first Bearcats in program history to earn regional distinction. The East Coast region is comprised of 35 teams, including teams from the ACC.
Volleyball dominates conference awards
Binghamton volleyball garnered a bounty of America East honors befitting of the regular season champions. The conference released its season awards Thursday afternoon and the Bearcats were prominently represented after a record-breaking 17-7 regular season.
First-year head coach Allie Yaeger and assistant CJ Werneke were voted Coaching Staff of the Year and junior outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva was the unanimous choice for Player of the Year to highlight the haul. In addition, BU received five all-conference selections - most in program history.
Volleyball hosts America East Championship for first time
Regular season champion and top-seeded Binghamton volleyball (17-7) begins its quest for a fourth postseason title this weekend when the Bearcats host the four-team America East Championship at West Gym. The Bearcats will face fourth-seeded New Hampshire (18-9) in Saturday’s first semifinal at 1 p.m. Second-seeded UMBC (15-8) and third-seeded Bryant (19-11) square off at 4 p.m. in the other semifinal. The two winners will meet in Sunday’s 1 p.m. title match with the America East champion gaining a berth to the NCAA tournament.
Both cross country teams are conference runnersup
It was both an impressive and historic day for the Binghamton cross country programs at the America East Championships on Saturday morning at Jerusalem Mills Park.
The Bearcat women placed second out of nine teams, which was their highest finish at the meet since they joined the conference in 2001. On the men’s side, meanwhile, Binghamton was also second out of nine teams, which was their highest finish since 2014.
Cross country runner Carolyn Burnell feature
In a year in which the Binghamton women’s distance program has climbed to new heights, senior Carolyn Burnell has mirrored that improvement. After three years of hard work and dedication, she broke through with a third-place finish in the 3,000 steeplechase at the 2022 America East Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She placed a career-best 20th overall and was the Bearcats’ fourth runner as they took runner-up team honors at the conference cross country meet. While Burnell continues to progress in track and cross country, she has maintained impressive marks in the classroom and has been an E-Board member of the Binghamton Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) as well as several other activities.
In this interview, Burnell reflects on how she got into running, how she has balanced academic and athletics at Binghamton and what have been the keys to her improvement. rides.
Women’s soccer pair named all-region
Women’s soccer seniors Maya Anand and Olivia McKnight have been selected to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region Team, the association announced Tuesday. Both were named to the Atlantic Region third team, joining players from national semifinalists Florida State and North Carolina and five top-11 ranked ACC programs in the 31-team region.
“We are excited for the deserved individual all-region recognition for Olivia and Maya after their impressive performances during our championship season,” head coach Neel Bhattacharjee said. “Our team celebrates this for them, and Maya and Livi will be the first to recognize how hard their teammates pushed them in training and held them to a consistently high standard.”
Women’s soccer signs five high school recruits
Directly on the heels of the team’s regular season title and championship game appearance, Binghamton women’s soccer has fortified its team for 2023 and beyond by signing five recruits to National Letters of Intent.
America East Coach of the Year Neel Bhattacharjee announced the addition of Megan Baker (Jamesville, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt HS), Isabella Brown (Oreland, Pa./Springside Chestnut Hill Academy), Sophia Garofalo (Aberdeen, N.J./Matawan Regional HS), Rebecca Kessler (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood HS) and Paige Luke (Ilion, N.Y./Clinton HS).a State and North Carolina and five top-11 ranked ACC programs in the 31-team region.
Women’s soccer advances to America East title game
Senior keeper Nicole Scott, inserted just for the penalty kick shootout, made three straight saves to propel No. 1 seed Binghamton women’s soccer (9-5-4) past No. 5 Albany (7-8-5) Thursday night at the Bearcats Sports Complex. The teams tied 3-3 after 110 minutes before BU advanced via shootout 3-2. Binghamton now will play in the America East championship game for the second time in the last three years when it hosts No. 2 New Hampshire at 2 p.m. Sunday with an NCAA berth at stake.
Women’s soccer receives three major conference awards
The America East announced its women’s soccer major award winners Tuesday afternoon and they have a distinct shade of green. Binghamton took three of the six awards after capturing the regular-season title and earning the top seed for the tournament. Senior Maya Anand was named Striker of the Year, senior Olivia McKnight was tabbed Midfielder of the Year and the staff of Neel Bhattacharjee, Nicole Pacapelli and Taylor Bennett were voted Coaching Staff of the Year.
It’s the first time BU has had more than one major award in the same year.
Seven women’s soccer players earn all-conference honors
Binghamton’s newly minted regular season champion women’s soccer team had a big haul in the postseason awards, announced Friday afternoon by the America East. The Bearcats put a league-high and program-record four players on the all-conference first team and their five overall all-conference selections was tied for the most of any team in the America East. In addition, BU added a pair of freshmen to the All-Rookie Team plus a program-best three on the All-Academic Team.
Honored as first team all-conference selections were: senior forward Maya Anand, sophomore forward Peyton Gilmore, senior midfielder Olivia McKnight and junior back Lexi Vegoda. Earning second team all-conference honors was senior midfielder Victoria McKnight. Named All-Rookie were freshmen backs Brooke Herber and Allison Falvo.
Anand, Olivia McKnight and Vegoda were also recognized on the All-Academic Team.
Men’s soccer lands four academic all-stars
The College Sports Communicators (CSC) had released its 2022 Men’s Soccer Academic All-District Teams and a quartet of Bearcat players are included. They are Sean Fitzgerald, Anthony Lazaridis, Devin Heanue and William Noecker.
Formerly known as COSIDA, the CSC divides the NCAA institutions into nine geographic districts, with Binghamton being located in District 1. In order to earn Academic All-District honors, a student-athlete must have played in at least 50 percent of their team’s matches during the recently completed season, have been at their current institution for at least a calendar year and have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA.
All four Bearcat players were key components in the team’s turnaround this past season. After starting off the 2002 campaign 0-6-2, Binghamton finished on a 6-3-2 run and advanced to the America East semifinals for the first time since 2015.
Earlier in the week, Noecker and Carter Beaulieu were named to the America East All-Tournament Team.
Cross country places three on All-Academic Team
Graduate student Aziza Chigatayeva and seniors Matt Cavaliere and Marty Dolan have been named to the America East Cross Country All-Academic Team for the 2022 season. The conference announced on Tuesday afternoon that 10 men and 10 women have been chosen to the squads.
In order to be eligible for the America East All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.3. In addition, they must have been a significant contributor to their team during the current season.
Chigatayeva makes her fourth straight appearance on the America East All-Academic Team. She placed a career-best second overall at the America East Championships back on Oct. 29, marking the fifth straight year that she has recorded a top-five finish at the meet. Chigatayeva is now the only Binghamton cross country runner (male or female) to ever be named to the America East All-Academic Team four times during her career.
Cavaliere makes his first appearance on the America East All-Academic Team. He placed a team-best and career-best sixth overall at the America East Championships.
Also making their first appearance on the America East All-Academic Team is Dolan. He placed 28th overall at the conference meet.
This marks the first time since 2018 that the Binghamton men’s team has posted at least two America East All-Academic selections.
In the classroom, Chigatayeva, Cavaliere and Dolan are all members of the National College Athlete Honor Society.
Since the America East All-Academic Teams were established in 2006, Binghamton has posted 29 men’s cross country selections as well as 13 women’s cross country honorees.
Men’s lacrosse releases schedule
Binghamton men’s lacrosse releases its 2023 schedule. After finishing the 2022 season with a 5-9, 3-3 America East record, the Bearcats look to the 13 game slate which features some familiar opponents from last year’s schedule including Marist, Lafayette, Lehigh, Fairfield, and St. Bonaventure (2022 game canceled due to weather).
In the non-conference schedule four of the Bearcats six games will be on the road, with back to back home games against Lafayette and St. John’s. The Bearcats will travel to Marist, St. Bonaventure, Lehigh, and Fairfield.
“We can’t wait to get started in 2023,” head coach Kevin McKeown said, “A lot of familiar faces fill our non-conference slate and will get us ready for a different America East conference schedule.”
In America East play, the Bearcats will have seven games with four games on the road, traveling to new conference foes Merrimack College and Bryant, as well as matchups against UMass Lowell, and UMBC. The Bearcats will host NJIT, Vermont, and Albany. BU finished 3-3 in America East play last season, finishing second in the conference.