Syracuse hosts Binghamton in longstanding matchup between in-state rivals

Syracuse has dominated Binghamton for more than a decade. The Bearcats, who SU head coach Luke Jensen considers one of the Orange’s “New York rivals,” have faced SU for five straight seasons. Syracuse has won every contest.

Jensen said he knows Syracuse’s self-acclaimed title as “New York’s College Team” annoys some of the other programs in the state, and he’s well-prepared for a very motivated Binghamton team.

“I know they want to come in and knock us off,” Jensen said. “We’ve played them many times and it’s been very close since I’ve been here. I expect the exact same type of battle.”

Binghamton (2-3) will make the short trek up Interstate 81 to Syracuse (2-5, 0-1 Big East) this Friday to take on the Orange in a battle of Upstate New York foes.

The proximity and history isn’t all these two programs have in common.  Both teams have a majority of underclassmen that have seen their early-season struggles quickly turn into quality wins in recent matchups.

Binghamton started out the season in a rut. In its first three matches, they won only two head-to-head matchups while dropping 19. In their last two matches, the Bearcats have seen a turnaround, getting two wins over Sacred Heart and Seton Hall.

Syracuse has had a similar fate to get its season going. The Orange dropped its first five matches on the road before winnings its past two.

“I think we’ve really underachieved the first part of the season,” Jensen said. “I think we’ve really used that 0-5 start to really get more of a togetherness on this team.”

Youth will be a prominent factor in Friday’s matchup. Between the two teams, there is only one senior, Binghamton’s Jessie Rubin. Aside from her, Binghamton’s six other athletes are all either freshmen or sophomores.

The Orange also relies heavily on its younger athletes. Syracuse features only two juniors among its nine-women roster.

One of those juniors, Maddie Kobelt, has been around long enough to have already defeated Binghamton twice in her career. Even with those memories, Kobelt said the Bearcats will be ready for a tough match.

“They’ve always been a really feisty team,” Kobelt said. “I know my freshman year, we had a really tight match with them. We were down 3-2 and came back for the win. They’re definitely a tough team. They’re not a walk-over.”

After its match against Binghamton, Syracuse will stay at home to wrap up its four-game home stand with a conference tilt against Pittsburgh on Sunday morning. Though the crucial Big East contest looms large, Jensen said Syracuse can’t afford to overlook Binghamton.

“We’ve got to win, 2-5 is ugly,” Jensen said. “And I’ve got to answer to my boss and the fan base and everything. We’re playing well. We’ve got two wins in a row and we want to continue that roll.”