A quick start ended in an eventual fallout for the the Binghamton University women’s lacrosse team Saturday as the Bearcats lost their first America East conference game of the season to the University of Vermont, 13-9.
The Bearcats took the lead 21 seconds into the match as sophomore Lisa Illig netted the first goal on an assist from sophomore Ali Castiglie.
The Catamounts answered back, however, with a goal of their own 25 seconds later.
For much of the game, the Bearcats stayed neck-and-neck with Vermont, with both teams exchanging goals and falling behind by no more than one point.
Illig had three goals in the first period, while Castiglie had one goal and one assist.
By the end of the first, Vermont led the match 7-6.
The Bearcats stayed close to the Catamounts at the beginning of the second period. Beth Moore scored a goal to tie the game 7-7, only to have Vermont pull ahead again 33 seconds later.
The team found itself two goals behind Vermont for the first time after Catamount Kristen Millar made a shot in free-throw position to put the score at 9-7.
Binghamton tried to close the gap with a goal of its own but the Catamounts rebounded again, putting the score at 10-8.
Lis Zuern netted the last shot for the Bearcats with 10 minutes remaining in the half. Within that time, the Catamounts made three straight goals to win the match 13-9, the last one with 32 seconds left on the clock.
Catamounts freshman Allison Pfohl had the team-high three goals to lead Vermont in the win. Illig and Zuern each had three goals apiece for the Bearcats.
Head coach Tony Zostant felt that the Bearcats outperformed themselves.
“We came out ready to play. Slow starts have been an issue for us. We played with intensity,” Zostant said, according to a Binghamton University press release. “We played for a full sixty minutes, and we hustled to the last whistle.”
The Bearcats will travel to Colgate tomorrow for a 7 p.m matchup with the Red Raiders.