Opening its season at home, the Binghamton women’s lacrosse team defeated Howard, 20-6, on Saturday afternoon. The decisive victory not only marked the program’s first win in a season opener but also matched the school record for goals scored in a game.

The Bearcats’ aggressive offensive play kept them in a dominant position throughout the match, enforcing their will on both ends of the field.

“We wanted to play cohesive,” BU head coach Stephanie Allen said. “Good offense and good defense, and we produced a good game.”

Just 24 seconds into the game, senior attack Angela Vespa buried the season’s first goal into the back of the net. Less than a minute later, sophomore attack Sophie Racciatti put away a second goal for the Bearcats (1-0) and, shortly afterward, freshman attack Brianne Arthur contributed a third.

By the end of the game, Racciatti and Arthur each recorded a game-high five goals while Vespa added three. Arthur earned America East Rookie of the Week honors.

Even in those brief moments when the Bearcats’ play resembled how one might expect a season opener to look, Allen was persistent in keeping her players in the game, no matter what the score was.

“The ball was on the ground way too much […] we needed to clean up our stick work,” Allen said. “But I think much of that could have just been first-game jitters.”

That insatiable mentality was one that carried throughout the match, as the largest scoring drought for the Bearcats came in the 10 minutes allotted for halftime.

Allen said she saw the game as a great confidence booster for her team as they transition into the new season.

While Saturday’s win proved to be a historic one, the Bearcats’ focus remains on their next opponent. The team is set to visit Lehigh, a team that defeated the Bearcats 11-10 in double overtime during their contest last season.

Play is slated for 3:30 p.m. this afternoon at Ulrich Sports Complex in Bethlehem, Pa.