Vestal, N.Y. - The Stony Brook men's soccer team (8-5-3, 3-2-1 AE) battled the Binghamton Bearcats (7-4-6, 1-2-3, AE) to a 0-0 draw over 110 minutes of action on Saturday night to take another step closer to a first-round bye in the America East Playoffs.

Highlights

• Junior goalkeeper Tom McMahon (Nassau Bay, Texas) was tremendous in the first half making two key stops to send Stony Brook into the intermission deadlocked at 0-0. McMahon plucked a free kick from 25 yards away out of the air, then made a stop on a header from inside the six yard box.
• Sophomore Serge Gamwanya (Trondheim, Norway) had Stony Brook's best chance of the half, dribbling around a Bearcat defender and firing from 15 yards out. The effort was well-struck but pawed over the bar by the Binghamton goalkeeper.
• Senior Vince Erdei (Budapest, Hungary) tried to spark Stony Brook's attack early in the second half but hit a shot from the top of the box over the bar.
• Junior Danny Espinoza (East Meadow, N.Y.) nearly set up Erdei in the final five minutes of regulation when his shot found Erdei as he drove towards the net, but the forward eleted to take a touch and was cut out by the keeper.
• The defensive battle continued into overtime when both teams nearly came up with game-winners. Senior Tavares Thompson (Kingston, Jamaica), who was stout all game from his center back position, got a crucial touch on a ball to knock it away from a Binghamton attacker just as he prepared to shoot.
• Junior Danny Espinoza (East Meadow, N.Y.) had a golden chance in the second overtime, but couldn't nod a corner kick at the far post down and skied it for a goal kick.

Notes

• As the score would indicate, the game was an even affair from start to finish. Shots finished at 13-13 with the Bearcats holding an 8-7 advantage in shots on goal.
• Stony Brook earned 11 corner kicks to Binghamton's five.
• McMahon made a season-high eight saves to earn his sixth shutout of the season.
• Espinoza and Erdei paced Stony Brook with three shots each.
• Four of the last five meetings between Stony Brook and Binghamton have gone into extra time.
• Stony Brook enters its final game of the regular seaon tied with Albany for third place. Stony Brook owns the tie breaker over Albany and would lock up at least the two-seed with a win on Wednesday as UMass Lowell isn't eligible for the postseason. A Stony Brook win and loss or tie by New Hampshire would lock Stony Brook into the one-seed and give them home field advantage throught the postseason.

Up Next

Stony Brook concludes its regular season on Wednesday, Nov. 2, vs. UMBC at 7 p.m. It will be senior day for Thompson, Eduardo Valle (Miami, Fla.) and Kofi Ramirez Osei-Tutu (Trondheim, Norway).