On Saturday afternoon, the Binghamton men’s lacrosse team secured a crucial victory. Facing off against Vermont, one of the top teams in the conference, a five-goal run by the Bearcats in the final two quarters allowed them to win the matchup 10-7 and keep their playoff hopes alive.

“I was really proud to see our seniors lead us today,” said Binghamton head coach Kevin McKeown. “We didn’t start the game great but [redshirt sophomore goalie] Teddy Dolan kept us in it early with some big saves. I think the guys settled in a little bit and got into the flow of the game better in the second period. We did a great job sharing the ball on offense and came out with the win.”

Dolan helped hold Binghamton together at the back, patching up mistakes in the Bearcats’ defense. He saved 68 percent of Vermont’s shots, and only allowed two goals of the eight shots-on-goal from Vermont in the first quarter of play. However, the Bearcats only scored one goal in the opening period.

Binghamton received assistance from all across the field, as senior defenders Tom Galgano and Kyle Tiernan provided support for Dolan at the back. On the offensive end of play, Tiernan often found himself in Vermont’s passing lanes, as he snagged three caused turnovers for the Bearcats, and Galgano added an additional three caused turnovers. Binghamton earned six turnovers in the opening quarter, but only had four between the second and third quarters of the match.

“[Tiernan] had four ground balls today, three caused turnovers and an assist — he did a great job between the lines and helping us end possessions,” McKeown said. “Him and [Galgano], both on senior day, I thought it was really fitting. I was glad we could send those guys out here at home with the win.”

Seven different Bearcats earned a spot on the scoresheet and four of them netted two goals. Junior attack Kevin Winkoff helped facilitate the offense after struggling early on, and freshman attack Ethan Insinga provided two assists later in the game.

“Offensively, they did a great job of sharing the ball,” McKeown said. “I don’t think anybody had more than two points. That’s what our philosophy is and how we try to run things … I thought our guys just played really unselfishly.”

After back-to-back goals for the Catamounts toward the end of the third quarter, Vermont was up 7-5 and started to build momentum heading into the final quarter. However, Binghamton found its rhythm on the final stretch and kicked a five-goal scoring run with a goal by senior midfielder Sean Makar, assisted by Insinga. The final four goals, scored by sophomore midfielder Thomas Greenblatt and Winkoff allowed the Bearcats to secure the victory.

The win against the Catamounts gives Binghamton an opportunity to secure a playoff spot. Vermont will need to lose its final two games against Stony Brook and Albany, and the Bearcats will have to beat UMass Lowell in their final regular-season matchup to clinch a playoff berth.

The Bearcats are set to finish their regular season with a game against UMass Lowell. Faceoff is set for 4 p.m. on Friday, April 30 at Cushing Field in Lowell, Massachusetts.