The Binghamton University women’s lacrosse team put on a record-setting defensive performance Wednesday with a 13-5 win over the host Niagara Purple Eagles, shutting them out in the second half of play.

The victory is the Bearcats fourth of the season, tying the team’s record for the most in school history. Binghamton had won four games twice before, most recently in 2006. The win also ended Binghamton’s four-game losing skid.

Junior captain Kara Slowik said she has no doubt the team will surpass its current total.

“We should do it,” Slowik said. “We will beat Albany … it’s not even a question.”

The victory also matched Binghamton’s best margin of victory this season. They defeated Siena 13-5 earlier in the month at the Bearcats Sports Complex.

On Wednesday, Binghamton outscored Niagara 8-0 in the second half to comfortably put the game away. Senior goalkeeper Sandra Alvarez recorded her first victory of the season while the team recorded its first road victory.

The intensity the Bearcats brought could be seen mostly in the differential of shots attempted and draw controls. The Bearcats outdrew Niagara by 10, including seven of the last nine, and outshot the Purple Eagles by 22.

“I was very proud of the defense,” said Bearcat head coach Tony Zostant.

With the score knotted at five at the start of the second half, senior captain Leanne Musso stepped up and scored her third goal of the game for her second straight hat trick. Musso is riding a hot streak since March 21, when she became only the third player in team history to arrive at the 100-point plateau, behind current assistant Lauren Wetherell and last year’s graduate Heather Grose.

The other hat trick in the game was notched by Bearcats freshman Kate Tesi, who scored all three of her goals in the second half. Freshman Ali Castiglie had two points coming on a goal and an assist, giving her 30 points on the season and a 2.5 points per game average. Her 30 points puts her past Musso’s 2006 mark and her 2.5 points per game place her fifth all-time.

Over spring break, Binghamton lost to conference rival Boston University, 19-8, and nationally ranked conference foe New Hampshire, 14-5. The loss to New Hampshire marked the second loss by Binghamton to a nationally ranked opponent this year, the other coming to Syracuse on March 4, 22-8.