NEW HAVEN, Conn. (BUBearcats.com) - The Binghamton women's lacrosse team (12-6) is set to face regional hosts No. 6 Yale in the program's first ever NCAA tournament appearance this Friday, May 10, at Reese Stadium. First draw is slated for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
The Bearcats are fresh off their first ever America East Championship with a 12-11 defeat of UAlbany last Sunday on the road. The victory also marked the first win over UAlbany in the program's 23-year history.
After the Great Danes jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, Binghamton turned the tide in the second and third quarters. The Bearcats used a 10-1 run spanning both halves to grab the lead then held off a late charge from a UAlbany team that was playing in its thirteenth straight title game. Binghamton kept UA off the board for more than 20 minutes and scored eight straight goals to turn a 7-2 deficit into a 12-8 lead.
The Great Danes kept Binghamton fans on the edge of their seats with three straight goals and the final possession in the closing 17 seconds. But the Bearcats' defense smothered a would-be UAlbany scoring chance when Angelina Suau forced a turnover in the closing seconds, setting off an epic celebration.
Goalkeeper Sofia Salgado was named the championship's Most Outstanding Player. She was joined on the All-Championship team by defender Zoe Congdon, midfielders Hayley Weltner and Kristen Scheidel as well as attacker Madison Murphy.
The conference championship victory gave Binghamton its twelfth win of the season, the most in program history. The Bearcats look to extend the team's eight game win streak this weekend against the Bulldogs, also the longest in Binghamton history.
The Binghamton offense has recorded five victories with 20 or more goals this spring. Seven Bearcats have also registered 20 more goals in 18 games. The team finished atop the conference standings with 19.68 points per game, 6.05 assists per game and 31.95 shots per game.
Olivia Muscolino leads the Bearcats with 72 points on 52 goals and 20 assists to rank among the top five offensive players in the America East. The junior attacker now holds the noth Binghamton program records for single-season points and goals. With 159 in her career, Muscolino is now just two points shy of becoming the Bearcats career points leader, dethroning Ali Castiglie's (2008-11) mark of 160.
Binghamton commanded the draw circle this season with a 285-215 advantage over its opponents, finishing first in the America East with 15.89 draw controls per game. The mark ranks the Bearcat draw control unit nineteenth in the nation in the category.
Weltner leads the Bearcats with 107 draws this season. She ranks first in the America East with 6.26 draws per game for 28th best in the country. The senior midfielder recorded a season-high 12 draw controls in the America East Championship win over UAlbany to break her own single-season draw controls record set last spring with 107.
Weltner became Binghamton's all-time program leader this season with 265 career draw controls and 4.73 career draw controls per game. She bested Rebecca Golderman's (2016-19) previous record of 202 in just her fifth game this spring against Siena.
Salgado registered 141 saves this season for a .430 saves percentage and 10.61 goals against average for the Bearcats. Her saves percentage ranks second in the America East while her goals against average mark is third. The senior goaltender recorded a career-high 12 saves twice this season while posting double-digit saves six times.
Friday's contest will be the first meeting for Binghamton and Yale. The Bearcats hold a 2-14 record against Ivy League opponents with a 12-11 win over Columbia at home, April 30, 2011, and a 13-12 road victory against Cornell, March 15, 2023.
The last time Binghamton met an Ivy League opponent was this spring when Cornell defeated Binghamton, 15-7, in Vestal, March 12. Muscolino led the Bearcats with five points on three goals and two assists in the contest while Salgado recorded a career-high 12 saves against the Big Red.
If the team advances over Yale, Binghamton will face the winner of Friday's other first round game in New Haven, Johns Hopkins vs. Fairfield. That contest will take place Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at Reese Stadium.
