The Binghamton women’s lacrosse team was defeated handily, 15-7, on the road by Lafayette. Despite the wide final margin, the Bearcats (1-2) held tight with the Leopards (2-1) for the first half before Lafayette outscored BU by seven in the final 30 minutes. Four of the Bearcats’ seven goals were tallied by new players, including the first two collegiate goals by freshman midfielder Rebecca Golderman, who was the only Binghamton player to score in both halves.
Binghamton head coach Stephanie Allen was pleased, but not surprised, by the offensive impact the first-year players made in the loss.
“Our goal is to get [the new players] acclimated to the game quickly during the fall season and give them the opportunity to step out there and compete for the first time and see minutes in the spring,” Allen said. “So far, they’ve done a nice job of adjusting to the Division I speed and the game itself.”
Golderman kicked off scoring in the match when she netted an unassisted goal less than five minutes into play. Freshman midfielder Olivia Batista was the next Bearcat to get on the board, finding the back of the net in the eighth minute of play.
“It took [Batista] a couple games to get in her groove and [she] finally found it yesterday,” Allen said. “It’s always a lot of pressure to put on a freshman to step out there and make that impact early on. We’re going to expect more great things from her.”
Rounding out the group of first-year players that helped the Bearcats keep pace with the Leopards in the first half was transfer sophomore midfielder Jacqueline Kennedy, who recorded her first goal since arriving from Division II Pfeiffer University.
Also contributing to BU’s offensive effort in the first half were junior midfielder Callon Williams, who tallied back-to-back goals three minutes apart in the first half, and junior midfielder Valerie DiNapoli, who netted her first goal of the year with just over a minute remaining in the first half.
Down, 7-6, heading into the second half, the Bearcats still had a win in their sights.
This hope did not last for long, as Lafayette outscored Binghamton, 8-1, in the period. The lone goal was supplied by Golderman, who recorded a .500 shot percentage on the match and connected in the fourth minute of the period. This would be the last time Binghamton would threaten effectively, as the Leopards scored six unanswered goals to secure their second win of the season.
Senior goalkeeper Erin McNulty, who averaged 7.23 saves per game last season, recorded just one save in the 27 minutes she played. McNulty’s replacement, sophomore goalie Emma Jehle, recorded two saves in her first game of the season.
Although the outcome was certainly not what she had desired, Allen praised BU’s defense for its resilience throughout the game.
“We continued to battle back for the entirety of the game and I was really proud that our defense stepped up to the challenge,” she said.
Binghamton is set to return to action on Saturday when it hosts Quinnipiac. First draw is scheduled for 1 p.m. from the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.