Ithaca’s Zoe Congdon helps Binghamton win America East title

The proud history of Ithaca girls lacrosse alums starring in the college ranks is still going strong in 2024. The latest example of this trend didn’t happen too far away from home.

Earlier this month, Zoe Congdon wrapped up her career at Binghamton University in the best way possible: winning a championship. The senior defender helped the Bearcats capture the America East title for the first time in program history. Since it was also their first-ever conference title, they made their maiden voyage to the NCAA Tournament as a result. Congdon reflected on a truly unforgettable campaign.

“It was definitely an amazing year,” Congdon said. “In general, we had some hard battles this year, which almost made it better. Our team kind of struggled in the beginning as our record shows. But after we overcame some issues that we had, it became a phenomenal year, and it became a really fun year to play.”

As Congdon referenced, the Bearcats were slow out of the gates. They entered conference play with a 4-5 record and were on a three-game losing streak that was extended to four games after a loss to Albany. In the following game against UMass-Lowell, they flipped the switch and came out on top. That victory began a six-game winning streak to end the regular season, and the rest is history.

“At UMass-Lowell, something clicked and we all just were talking and we knew what each other was going to do,” Congdon said about her defense. “We had each other’s backs, and then that carried on into the next game and the next game. From UMass-Lowell on, we started thinking about the game that we had next and not the next three games, which definitely helped, as well. We focused on one at a time and keeping that connection going on defense.”

Not only did the team improve as the season progressed, Congdon has also done so throughout her collegiate career. She pointed to her individual defending as the most notable area of growth in her game.

“I definitely think that having a strong 1v1 is probably the best thing that I could have worked on,” Congdon said. “It definitely helped me in being a crease defender because that’s all you really get. [There’s] some big dodgers and some big drivers down there, and that’s all you got to focus on for the most part besides the feeding. That was definitely the best thing I focused on.”

When Congdon was deciding where to take her talents, the main question she would ask is how the team acts outside of lacrosse. She was clearly inspired by what she saw when she made the hour-long venture to Binghamton.

“They always hung out together outside,” Congdon said. “Even before I got here, they all went to dinner together. A lot of them had the same classes and they really were just each other’s best friends. What drew me here is because I wanted that culture. I did want a winning culture, but I wanted some place that you had fun while doing it. I guess I sacrificed a little bit in the beginning, but I knew we would get here. They always were striving to be better. That’s what I wanted, and that’s what I got here.”

Congdon was more than used to playing with fellow Division I athletes long before she suited up for the Bearcats. From elementary to high school, Congdon has had plenty of standout teammates, including Alecia Nicholas (North Carolina), Mackenzie Rich (Syracuse), and Jamie Lasda (Ohio State). In fact, it was Lasda’s mother that got Congdon to play lacrosse in the first place. Congdon expressed gratitude for growing up in a city with an immense passion for the sport.

“We all grew up together, which was super nice,” Congdon said. “We all worked together. We would go to so many tournaments, which was amazing, and I’m glad we had the opportunity to do that. Ithaca just allowed us to do that by having the tournaments at home and having the travel teams and having the connections. We knew the Cornell coach for a long time, and we also knew the [Salt City] Snipers coaches, which is another big travel team. I think the connection more than anything in Ithaca is amazing because it really just allows you to grow your game from such a young age.”

At Ithaca High School, Congdon helped the Little Red win back-to-back sectional titles. Along with her winning pedigree, she carried a relentless work ethic to Binghamton. It’s something that has clearly paid off in her final season with the Bearcats.

“I had to fight for every spot that I had at Ithaca, which is the best thing that could have happened to me,” Congdon said. “I wasn’t handed anything, which would have led to my demise if I continued on to college ball. You had to fight for your spot, and you always had to keep working, which was definitely hard. But it was worth it, for sure.”