The Binghamton women’s lacrosse team gained some confidence this Saturday, earning an electrifying overtime victory over Niagara (0-1) in its first home game of the season.
Binghamton (1-1) started out both halves strong, scoring within the first two minutes of each half. This emphasis gave the Bearcats an edge and quick momentum as they exploited the Purple Eagles’ lack of intensity at the opening moments, which was a crucial part of Binghamton’s game plan.
“We’re playing in smaller increments of time out there and trying to win the little battles on the field,” BU head coach Stephanie Allen said. “Today we made a couple adjustments with our offense and draw-takers so that we were able to get possession and they were able to get the ball down and bury it in the back of the net quickly.”
Despite the early energy boost from sophomore Tiffany Ryan, the team struggled to maintain its intensity consistently, trading goals with Niagara until the score was knotted at two almost halfway through the first half. The Bearcats were outshot, 12-7, in the first half, but senior goalie Erin McNulty made a phenomenal save with just under four minutes remaining to spark the team. Soon after, junior midfielder Callon Williams netted her first goal of the day, giving Binghamton a 3-2 lead just a minute before halftime.
After another goal was scored by Ryan, the Bearcats held a seemingly controllable 5-2 lead. However, Niagara went on to score three unanswered goals — two coming in the final 20 seconds of regulation, to force overtime. But Binghamton’s edge in controlling the pace of each period proved to be the determinate factor, as Ryan completed a hat trick by burying her third goal to end the game just over a minute into the overtime period. Allen hinted that this offensive explosion is something that can begin to be expected from the young attacker.
“Last year she definitely got some minutes and experience as a freshman, but she’s starting to come into her own,” Allen said. “[She’s] understanding the game and game flow a little bit better, so she’s someone we’ll look to a lot more this season.”
Defensively, senior Allie Rodgers stood out, as she secured three ground balls to help stop Niagara’s late comeback efforts. Additionally, McNulty played solidly in goal, making an impressive 11 saves.
“I’m just really proud of our team’s resiliency out there today,” Allen said. “We’ve been learning over the past couple of years how to win and it was really encouraging to see them come out and stay composed in a very tough situation at the end of the game.”
The Bearcats are set to return to action on Tuesday when they take on Lafayette. First face-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Fisher Stadium in Easton, PA.