Records fell as the Binghamton University women’s lacrosse team lifted itself to a 20-12 victory over the Wagner Seahawks Tuesday.
“It was a complete team effort today,” said BU head coach Tony Zostant after the victory, its fifth on the season for a new program best. Binghamton (5-11) has twice achieved four win seasons, in 2004 and 2006. Despite the accomplishment, Zostant and his team said they are not yet totally satisfied.
“A lot of the games we were in we could have won,” said senior tri-captain Leanne Musso.
Zostant also said that he believed the team could have, and should have, won more games.
“If you ask Tony [Zostant] he would say he’s not satisfied … that’s terrific,” said BU Director of Athletics Joel Thirer.
Although the record was perhaps not as great as Zostant would have wanted, the opposite could be said of his seniors. Musso broke the school record for goals Tuesday, netting five goals against the Seahawks. Her 89 goals surpass 2007 graduate Heather Grose’s 84.
“It was good to end my season on it, but I know it’s going to be beat pretty soon,” Musso said. Along with her five goals, Musso tallied four assists, tying a school record of nine points in one game. With those nine points, Musso also achieved the team lead in points for this season, passing freshman Ali Castiglie.
There was another record set by a Binghamton senior. Goalkeeper Sandra Alvarez recorded the most saves in Binghamton program history with 19. After an up and down season in which Alvarez shared time with freshman Lauren Scott, Alvarez secured her spot in Bearcats history as as the program’s all time leader in saves, with 387. Alvarez had only three seasons with the team after walking on as a freshman.
The third senior on the Binghamton roster, Kristen Marsjanik, made her second start of the season. Marsjanik entered the game with only two goals this season, her last coming in the Bearcats’ home finale loss 18-12 against Stony Brook on April 12. With less than one minute remaining in the game, Marsjanik rose to the occasion and scored, notching her 21st career goal.
“Kristen played incredible,” Zostant said. “We asked [the seniors] how they want to be remembered. You can use this as a celebration and have one of your best games with your head high or you can feel sorry that your career is over and feel not so good. They chose to take their high road and play the best game of their life.”
Although the spotlight was on the seniors on this particular day, the season-long trend of scoring freshmen continued. Eight different freshmen scored, making it the 16th game this year in which at least four freshmen scored. Kate Tesi achieved her third collegiate hat trick and added an assist for a career-high four point game. Her three goals came consecutively in the second half. Fellow freshman Ali Castiglie scored two goals and ended her season as the season’s leader in assists, and second all-time for points by a freshman with 37.
Zostant described the 2008 season as an introductory course; next year, the returners will move up to the next level.
“We have a solid group of incoming freshmen … it’s going to be a really competitive fall ball,” he said.
Zostant said he is going to bring in a few goalies to force competition with Scott, but as of right now she is the frontrunner between the pipes.
“She has the experience nobody will have,” he said. “She’s totally in the lead.”