Bearcats season ends in heartbreak fashion

11/3/2012 (Updated 10:39:39 PM)

STONY BROOK, N.Y.  Will Casey scored with 52 seconds left in the first sudden-death overtime, leading No. 3 Stony Brook (11-5-1) to a 5-4 overtime win over No. 6 Binghamton (6-11-1) in an America East quarterfinal game on Saturday afternoon at LaValle Stadium.

The Seawolves rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the final 28 minutes of regulation to force overtime before ending the Bearcats season.

Caseys game winner was set up by Leonardo Fernanez, who crossed the ball into the box. The ball got loose and wound up at Caseys feet and he fired it into an open net.

Binghamton looked to be in control of the match midway through the second half. The two teams were tied at 2-2 at the half before senior forward Jake Keegan and sophomore forward Steven Celeste scored in the 48th and 61st minute respectively.

Fernandes, however, started the Stony Brook comeback when he finished off a cross from a free kick in the 74th minute. With just 45 seconds left in regulation, Alejandro Fritz tied the game on a scramble for the ball in the middle of the box.

The loss overshadowed several offensive performances by the Bearcats. Senior midfielder Adam Whitehead finished with a goal and two assists, while Keegan and senior midfielder Trey Jasenski each had a goal and an assist.

Whitehead and Jasenski each netted a goal during a wild first half. Whiteheads goal in the 14th minute, which was assisted by Jasenski, tied the score at 1-1. Jasenski, meanwhile, deadlocked the game at 2-2 in the 38th minute.

Goals for Stony Brook in the first half came from Rafael Abreu in the ninth minute and Alejandro Fritz in the 26th minute.

Keegan finishes the 2012 season with 11 goals and 26 points. Both rank second in Binghamtons 11-year NCAA Division I era, trailing only Charles Darkwahs 12 goals and 29 points during the 2004 campaign.

Whitehead finished the season with seven assists, which is the highest total recorded by a Binghamton player during the programs NCAA Division I era. The two assists against Stony Brook tied his career-high, which he set against Boston on Oct. 30, 2011.

NOTES: The nine goals represents the highest-scoring game Binghamton has played in during its NCAA Division I era ... the four goals scored by the Bearcats ties their highest output in an America East Tounament game. Binghamton won 4-1 over UMBC in the 2005 America East semifinals.

(Courtesy: BU Athletics)