VESTAL, N.Y. - Senior attack Kirsten Wilhelmsen scored eight goals to pace visiting Lafayette (2-0) to a 17-14 win over Binghamton women's lacrosse (0-1) on a frigid Thursday afternoon at the Bearcats Sports Complex.

Wilhelmsen added an assist for a nine-point day as the Leopards withstood a spirited BU effort in the team's season opener. The Bearcats received four goals from sophomore Rebecca Golderman and scored three of the game's final four goals before running out of time. 

"We are just really dissapointed in our discipline today," head coach Stephanie Allen said. "We are a talented team with tons of potential, but our choices on the field today held us back. Our team relies on our principles of being prepared, focused and disciplined and today we forgot the importance of one. Everything that held us back today from being on the other side of the results is in our control of fixing/adjusting. I have full confidence in these young ladies that we will move forward and be ready for Syracuse on Saturday." 

The Bearcats jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals 13 seconds apart from junior Brianne Arthur and Tiffany Ryan. After Lafayette answered with two to tie, Golderman netted her first and senior midfield Valerie DeNapoli added her first off a feed from Arthur to restore BU's two-goal cushion, 4-2. Lafayette answered, however, with five straight goals - two by Wilhelmsen - to grab a 7-4 lead. The pace of the first half was quick with the teams combining for seven goals in the first 6:47 of the game. The teams alternated goals before the half and the visitors carried a 9-6 lead into intermission.

In the second half, Lafayette twice extended its lead to four before BU began to rally. Ryan followed a goal from junior midfield Jacqueline Kennedy with her second of the game and DeNapoli added her second less than four minutes later to pull the Bearcats to within one, 12-11, with 19:37 remaining. But Lafayette answered with four straight tallies - two more from Wilhelmsen - to make it 16-11 with 14:14 to play. Kennedy and Wilhelmsen traded goals and then senior midfield Callon Williams scored her first of the season with 10:38 left. Golderman found the net on a free position shot with 5:11 left to pull BU to within three, but the Bearcats could draw no closer.

Binghamton held a 40-37 edge in shots. Junior goalie Emma Jehle made nine saves, including several point-blank, in 42:37 minutes. Freshman Vanessa Walters played the final 17:23 and recorded four saves.

The Bearcats next travel up I-81 to face No. 5 Syracuse on Saturday night.