On Wednesday afternoon, the Binghamton women’s lacrosse team hosted Lafayette. The Bearcats came out hot with a 3-0 run and never relented as they grabbed their first home win of the season 18-8.

“Our team came out with the right mentality and focus, we were excited to have a home game,” said Binghamton head coach Stephanie Allen. “I thought it was very obvious with the way they started the game that they were dialed in and ready to make it happen.”

The Bearcats (2-3) started the scoring early as sophomore midfielder Jesse Barer put the ball in the back of the net under a minute into play. Shortly after, the Leopards (1-2) gained possession but were unable to convert on two shot attempts. BU responded quickly off of the rebound as sophomore midfielder Madison Murphy added the second goal of the game thanks to an assist from junior attack Kenna Newman. As the clock crept past the nine-minute mark, freshman attack Olivia Muscolino scored in a free position shot to give BU a three-goal cushion.

“[Barer] came out and did a phenomenal job in the draw circle area, competing and getting possessions,” Allen said. “She was able to capitalize both as a scoring and feeding threat.”

The Leopards mounted a miniature comeback as they went on a 3-1 run before the Bearcats scored seven straight goals. The run was sparked by a sophomore midfielder Hayley Weltner goal before BU outdid its first-quarter start to begin the second frame. Binghamton put five goals past Lafayette before the midpoint of the quarter. Muscolino scored three straight goals, nearly doubling her season tally in just over two minutes. The Bearcat offense slowed down in the final eight minutes of the half as they scored just one more goal. However, the defense remained stout. Lafayette scored just one goal while getting off three shots in the period. The six-goal quarter is tied for the team’s best this season.

“We knew [Muscolino] was going to turn the corner here soon and have a breakout game,” Allen said. “She’s a tremendous player and for her, it came down to just getting the confidence going early on in today’s match.”

Weltner also doubled her season’s goal total as the sophomore opened the second half scoring to record her second-career hat trick. Senior attack Emily Masera and Muscolino each added a goal to make it 14-4. Then, with just under four minutes in the third quarter, Murphy scored her second goal and gave BU a new season-high in goals scored. The Bearcat then added her second and third straight goals moments later to bring her total to four and complete a 6-0 third period for BU. Binghamton’s defense held Lafayette to just four shots and one shot on goal in the penultimate quarter.

“The girls have really bought in on the game plan and when they’re playing cohesively and all on the same page, they’re capable of shutting down really talented offenses,” Allen said. “I thought they did a really good job with their communication and really understanding their roles.”

The Leopards opened up the scoring in the final frame and ended a drought that lasted nearly 19 minutes. Lafayette closed the game with three straight goals, but thanks to a 12-1 run over the second and third quarters, the gap was too wide to overcome.

“We’ve been in a position the last few games where we’re getting down a few goals and not able to claw our way back in or not able to score back-to-back goals with the exception of the Colgate game,” Allen said. “That was one our focuses going in today, to get on the other side of the coin and make sure our response and intensity remained the same every possession.”

Muscolino led the team in goals with five on just seven shots, with Murphy just behind her with four goals. Barer contributed to the scoring effort with two goals of her own and added four assists as well. Junior goalie Emily Manning played the entire match, allowing eight goals and saving three shots.

The Bearcats are slated to host Marist on Saturday, March 5. First draw control is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.