The Binghamton women’s lacrosse team dropped its second straight game Tuesday, falling to Canisius, 18-12. Now halfway through their nonconference schedule, the Bearcats have recorded just one victory.
Binghamton (1-4) started strong, and although the Golden Griffins (3-2) scored first, the Bearcats struck back with two consecutive goals: the first by senior midfielder Callon Williams, and then redshirt junior Jocelyn Penteck added another right off the draw.
Canisius responded with three consecutive free-position goals to go up, 4-2, before Binghamton fired back with another pair of goals. Williams netted her second goal of the game, and the goal was quickly followed by an athletic over-the-shoulder tally by junior midfielder Jacqueline Kennedy, which tied the game at four midway through the first half.
The Bearcats’ offense stalled out, attempting just three more shots in the first half, with sophomore midfielder Rebecca Golderman being the only one to score for the Bearcats. Canisius, however, scored seven additional goals in the first half, powered by junior attacker Lauren Smolensky, who assisted five of the seven goals, and senior midfielder Ashley Bull, who found the back of the net three time.
The Binghamton defense limited the Golden Griffins’ star player, junior midfielder Erica Evans, to just one goal and two assists. The Bearcats, however, failed to hold the rest of the Golden Griffins’ offense in check.
“We just failed to execute on our basic defensive principles,” said BU head coach Stephanie Allen.
Going into the second half, Allen replaced junior goalie Emma Jehle with freshman keeper Vanessa Walters, who stepped up, saving 5 of 12 shots on goal.
“We wanted to give them a little bit of a taller goalkeeper in there,” Allen said. “[Walter’s] got a little bit more height in there where they were placing the majority of their shots, and she was able to come up with a couple more saves for us in the second half.”
Canisius got on the board first in the second half with a goal from Smolensky, who recorded a program-record nine assists on the day. The Bearcats’ halftime adjustments improved their ball movement and passing in the final 30, creating more offensive chances by outshooting the Golden Griffins, 18-16, in the period. Penteck found the back of the net twice more to earn her first hat trick of the season. Kennedy finished the game with five points off two goals and three assists.
“We were really excited about Jocelyn Penteck stepping up,” Allen said. “She was able to step right out there and execute what we asked of her yesterday and raised the bar. I think Jacqueline Kennedy, also, on both ends of the field did an excellent job.”
But Binghamton was unable to come back from the six-goal deficit. Sophomore attacker Jourdan Roemer helped Canisius secure the victory by scoring four goals, three of which came in the second half, including the final blow with 45 seconds remaining. This season, the Bearcats have allowed an average of 15.6 goals per game while averaging only 11.6 goals scored.
BU is set to return to the field on Saturday against Marist. First draw is set for 3 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.