In search of its first win of the season, the Binghamton women’s lacrosse team had a 9-7 lead with just minutes remaining in a game against UMBC. At that point, the Retrievers and senior midfielder Catherine Sims took over the game, scoring two goals 11 seconds apart to tie the game and send the match into overtime. UMBC captured the initial draw control and took advantage with only seconds remaining on the shot clock, handing the Bearcats a crushing 10-9 defeat.

“Today was a heartbreaking loss,” said BU head coach Stephanie Allen. “Our kids really competed well on both sides of the field. It came down to just a couple [of] critical moments that UMBC was able to capitalize on.”

Those critical moments have plagued the Bearcats (0-12, 0-3 America East) throughout the season. The team has competed well in the majority of its matchups but has struggled in high-pressure situations toward the end of games. The Retrievers (4-9, 2-1 America East) were able to take critical draw controls and score clutch goals in a come-from-behind victory.

“They scored off of fast break goals and just some unsettled situations that we need to react a little bit better to,” Allen said. “We put ourselves in a position to compete for the win at the end, and the ball just didn’t bounce our way, and we didn’t come up with that draw possession in the overtime period.”

The lone possession in overtime, controlled by UMBC, was well played defensively by BU. The Retrievers were unable to get a shot off until just seconds remained on the shot clock when sophomore midfielder Julia Hatmaker scored on a laser pass from senior attacker Payton Van Kirk in the sudden-death overtime period.

“It was a situation where our defensive unit was playing really well and doing exactly what we asked game-plan wise,” Allen said. “Unfortunately, it was just a really well-executed feed and finish that gave them the game winner and us the loss.”

The struggles in the final minutes overshadowed what was a well-played game by the Bearcats up to that point. The Binghamton defense did not allow UMBC to take the lead throughout the entire second half, and four Bearcats recorded two goals, including junior midfielders Amelia Biancardi and Alissa Franze, as well as sophomore attacker Paige Volkmann.

Senior midfielder Rebecca Golderman’s plays in this game and in the past three games have been notable bright spots for Binghamton. She recorded two goals and three assists against UMBC and has now scored in five straight games, including multi-goal efforts in the previous three. Golderman entered the season as the team’s presumptive leading scorer, and she has established herself in that role as of late.

With the loss, the Bearcats have now matched their worst start in school history. The 2003 Binghamton women’s lacrosse team, in its second year of Division I play, finished the season with an 0-12 record. It is fair to say that the talent on this year’s roster is significantly stronger than that of the 2003 team, but Allen noted other factors that have contributed to the lack of victories thus far in the season.

“I understand people are looking just at the record, but there’s a lot more that goes into it,” Allen said. “Our schedule is extremely competitive and challenging. I don’t think that they were playing top-five programs, top-20 programs in their second year of existence. Unfortunately, our record doesn’t meet our standards or what we want to be record-wise as a program right now, but our players are young, and they’re learning a lot of these critical game situations that are gonna help build for the future and continue to help put us in a good position toward the end of the season.”

The Bearcats will continue to search for their first win of the season with a home matchup against UMass Lowell this Saturday, April 6. First draw is set for 1 p.m. from the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.