After dropping its first two games of the season, the Binghamton women’s lacrosse team earned its first win of the season Wednesday. BU (1-2) defeated Colgate, 16-12, behind another stellar performance from sophomore midfielder Rebecca Golderman.
Golderman, who has logged 11 goals over three games for the season, powered the Bearcats over the Raiders (1-1). Golderman recorded five goals on six shots and added one ground ball to go along with her four draw controls.
Aside from the offensive display by Golderman, BU as a unit played strongly following back-to-back deflating defeats to pull out a win after trailing early on in the contest.
“Colgate was a tough team that made us constantly adjust,” said BU head coach Stephanie Allen. “I was excited to see our team respond and answer today by putting a stop to the runs.”
The Raiders held a 6-3 advantage over BU with just over 11 minutes remaining in the half as BU appeared to be still shaking off offseason rust. After trading goals with the Colgate, though, the Bearcats fought back with three straight tallies and were down by only one, 7-6, at halftime.
Although the Bearcats faced a deficit for the vast majority of the first period, they regrouped at the half to turn the game around in the second. Down 10-8 early in the second, BU went on a run, scoring three straight goals to take the lead. They added another with 11:35 left in the contest and found themselves up, 12-10.
BU’s offense was much more efficient in the second half. Binghamton found the net 10 times in the half, including the final three goals to ice the game.
Junior attacker Tiffany Ryan helped Golderman carried the offense by contributing four goals of her own. She also dished out two assists and won four draw controls. Ryan scored three of the 10 BU goals in the second period. Junior midfielder Jacqueline Kennedy also played a big part in the win, adding three scores, one ground ball and two draw controls.
“We had multiple players step up today for us on both ends of the field and allowed us to stay within reach at every point of the game,” Allen said.
Although the Bearcats have played just three games, they have struggled with defense and goalkeeping in each of them. Over the three matches, BU has already given up 45 goals and has only scored 35. Despite keeping Colgate in check for a majority of the game, the Bearcats will need to continue to improve on the defensive end prior to the start of conference play.
BU is set to take on Dartmouth on Saturday. Opening draw is scheduled for noon from Chase AstroTurf Field in Hanover, New Hampshire.