Over spring break, the Binghamton University women’s lacrosse team took on three America East (AE) opponents, falling to No. 3 Stony Brook and UMBC before rebounding with a victory over UMass Lowell on Saturday.
The 12-6 win over the River Hawks (6-7, 0-4 AE) marked BU’s second conference win of the season. Against SBU and UMBC, the Bearcats lost, 20-4 and 21-10, respectively.
The matchup against the Seawolves included goals from junior midfielder Jacqueline Kennedy and junior attack Tiffany Ryan within the first few minutes of play. However, the Seawolves took control for the remainder of the first half, scoring 11 straight goals before sophomore midfielder Rebecca Golderman ended the drought.
The second half featured the Seawolves dominating again, scoring five consecutive goals within the first 10 minutes of play. Kennedy recorded an additional goal during the second half, but any comeback attempts proved futile.
The Bearcats sought redemption during their next game against UMBC, but again failed to notch a tally in the win column. The Retrievers pulled ahead early, capturing two goals early. Binghamton was able to tie the game with two goals of its own, from the sticks of Kennedy and senior midfielder Valerie DeNapoli.
The Retrievers scored an additional 14 goals during the first half, while the Bearcats managed to put just two more goals on the board. At the half, UMBC was ahead, 16-4.
UMBC came out strong again in the second half, and although the Bearcats scored six more goals, their efforts proved ineffective. With a final score of 21-10, UMBC sailed to victory and Binghamton suffered a second defeat.
However, Saturday’s game against UMass Lowell proved to be a turning point for Binghamton. Although the River Hawks came out onto the field strong, scoring three goals within the first 10 minutes of play, the Bearcats rallied quickly, scoring six goals in the first half. Golderman and Ryan each scored, powering BU to a 6-3 lead at the half.
Binghamton dominated in the second half, scoring three consecutive goals just minutes into play, thanks to sophomore attack Emily Yoo, Ryan and sophomore midfielder Ciara Gordon, who recorded her first goal of the season. The River Hawks scored two goals following the Bearcats’ rampage, but Binghamton still held a substantial 9-5 lead.
Behind the play of Golderman, who recorded an additional two goals, the Bearcats secured the victory against UMBC and put an end to their losing streak.
“We started slow, just getting our bearings about us, but we decided to keep pushing through, and once we got in the groove, it was all clear sailing from there,” said senior defender Amanda Marsh.
“I think from the start, our defense started strong today and they played incredibly disciplined,” said BU head coach Stephanie Allen. “They went out and dictated. From about the 10-minute mark left in the first half on, I thought they did a great job of responding and adjusting and taking care of those opportunities out there.”
The Bearcats are set to take on New Hampshire on Saturday. The matchup is scheduled to begin at noon from Cowell Stadium in Durham, New Hampshire.