ORONO, Maine – In an America East conference matchup for the University of Maine soccer team, the Black Bears battled a tough Binghamton squad and held a vaunted offense scoreless through regulation and into overtime. The visiting Bearcats, though, netted the game-winner with 4:52 to go in the second overtime to top the Black Bears, 1-0, Thursday evening at Mahaney Diamond.
 
The Black Bear defense weathered an aggressive Bearcats attack in the first 10 minutes before settling into a groove. Binghamton peppered UMaine with shots – nine each in the first and second halves – but the back line and Cobotic were up to the task. Though playing further back than normal on the field, senior Kendra Ridley was able to shut down America East leading scorer Kayla Saager throughout the game. The captain limited the talented striker to just one shot on goal in the game.
 
In just her second start of the year, Cobotic had key saves in the second minute – lunging to her right on a shot from 10 yards out – and ninth minute – timing a leap on a shot from distance to push the ball off the crossbar – to allow UMaine to stay in the early game.
 
In the latter part of the first half, it was the UMaine offense that gained some steam and put together some nice pieces. Nicole Bailey had an excellent feed across the goal mouth to Kaityln Ball, but the sliding shot off the foot wen just right of the post. It was Emilie Andersen that threaded a ball down the left flank into open space in front of Olivia Bamford, but Mackenzie Hanna just beat her to the ball to push it out for a corner.
 
UMaine carried its momentum into the second half, with Andersen finding Bailey for a chance early on before the keeper gobbled up the ball and Mikayla Morin ripping a shot from 25 yards out that went just over the crossbar. Ridley nearly found the net on a header off of a corner kick, but a Binghamton defender saved the ball off of the goal line.
 
Ridley and the defense continued its staunch ways into the overtime periods but it would be Binghamton that found the net first off of a lofted cross into the box.
 
Cobotic (0-3-0) finished with nine saves for UMaine while Olivia Bamford finished with five shot attempts.
 
Binghamton heldt he final edge in shots (22-16), shots on goal (10-1) and corner kicks (4-3).
 
Goal Recaps
• (Binghamton 106'): Reilly took a throw in from Sam O'Malley on the right flank, dribbled towards the defense, turned and then lofted a ball into the box that floated over heads in the box and into the far corner of the net.
 
Notes
• Binghamton bumped its overall edge in the all-time series to 10-5-4.
• The Black Bears became just the second team to hold Saager – who entered the contest with a conference-best 11 goals – off the scoresheet.
• This was the sixth overtime contest this season for the Black Bears and the third in conference play.
 
Up Next
• UMaine will remain at home to wrap up the regular season against UMass Lowell on Oct. 22.
• The Class of 2018 will also be honored at Sunday's for their contributions to the program over the last four seasons.