With a pair of losses over the weekend to Geneseo and Oneonta, the Buffalo State women’s lacrosse team finds themselves on a three-game losing streak and in sixth place, the last spot in the SUNYAC playoff race. The losses dropped the Bengals to 4-8 overall (2-2 SUNYAC).

Last week, the Bengals were on a three-game win streak and were climbing up the SUNYAC standings. What a difference a week makes.

The game against No. 18 Geneseo last Thursday was a blowout as Buffalo State fell 15-4. The Knights came into the game with an impressive record of 8-1 overall and dominated the offensive end of the game with 38 shots to Buffalo State’s 10. The Bengals were shut out in the final 40 minutes of play.

“Coming into the Geneseo game, we just didn’t come prepared to play,” head coach Lindsay Abbott said. “I think sometimes you have those things where no one picks each other up.”

Geneseo is currently in second place in the SUNYAC.

“The competition this week has definitely been at a higher level and we haven’t been playing the way we can when we were winning,” senior attacker Kendra Thomas said. “We are working on getting back to that.”

Possession time has been a struggle for the Bengals throughout the year and it has cost them. Senior midfielder Meghan Farrell feels it’s something she and her team can fix.

“We need to have more patience on offense and we need to win draws so we can keep possession of the ball throughout the game,” she said.

Saturday was an opportunity to put the Geneseo game behind them, and despite falling 16-12 against Oneonta, there were positives to take away from the game. The Bengals trailed for the majority of the game, but kept the game close throughout. They trailed 6-4 at halftime.

“Going into this game, the girls were into it,” Abbott said. “They were ready to play and they were excited. They had a good time, and I think we have to remember sometimes that it’s all about having fun.”

In the second half, the Bengals quickly responded to every Oneonta goal. The lead was never greater than three goals, and with 17 minutes to play, they finally tied the game up at 10 after a goal from freshman attacker Alana Herne. She finished the game with a team-high five goals and also leads the team in scoring with 48 points on the season.

Abbott had the highest of praise for her freshman attacker.

“She has been huge for us; her stick skills are unbelievable and I can’t wait to see what she ends up doing for us when she is a senior,” she said. “I think she brings our offense to another level. I think there is still more that I can get out of her, but I’m excited for her to improve in these next few years and keep moving the program in the right direction.”

After trailing the majority of the game, the Bengals finally took a one-goal lead at 12-11 with 14 minutes to play. However, the final minutes of the game belonged to the Dragons, who scored the last five goals of the game to leave Coyer Field with the victory. The shots were not as lopsided as the previous contest, as Buffalo State finished with 32 shots to Oneonta’s 36.

“I think that shows that we’re learning to always keep fighting and keep working hard all the way until the game is over,” Thomas said. “That’s something our coach has instilled in us this season. Although the game ended in a loss, it was a step in the right direction.”

The Bengals will have a pair of mid-week contests as they take on rivals Fredonia as a part of the “Battle by the Lake” series next Tuesday. They travel to Rochester, New York to face the RIT Tigers next Wednesday.

Tony Callens can be reached by email at [email protected]