BETHANY, W. Va. -- The Heidelberg University women's lacrosse team opened the 2022 season with a gut-wrenching 12-11 loss in overtime at Bethany College.  The Student Princes trailed by as many as six in the first half, but used a six-goal surge to get back into the game.  

After being held scoreless in the first quarter, Brianna Lloyd put HU on the board with a goal with 12:27 left in the first.  Up 4-1, the Bison would tack on three more goals in quick succession.  

Lloyd scored again with 8:02 left, but Bethany answered two minutes later.  

Down 8-2 with less than five minutes left in the half, The Berg caught fire.  Hannah Kaplan scored with 4:56 left, then Kelly Spence scored a pair less than a minute apart.  Kaplan completed the hat trick with two goals before the horn. 

Heidelberg, which went to the locker room down 8-7, tied the game with a goal 3.5 minutes into the third.  Bethany went ahead with 3:29, but Spence scored 10 seconds before the end of the period, tying the game at nine. 

Lloyd's third goal came with 12:25 left, which put HU up one.  The Bisons would tie the game four minutes later.  

Megan Vesely scored her first of the game with 6:27 left, giving HU an 11-10 advantage.  

The precarious one-goal cushion remained late into the contest.  With 84 seconds left in regulation, Rikiah Wise found the net for the equalizer.  

In overtime, Wise scored on Bethany's second possession, touching off a celebration for the hosts, and breaking the hearts of the 'Berg faithful.  

Spence, Lloyd, and Kaplan each finished with three goals apiece.  Sydney Shaffer served as facilitator and tallied four assists -- one off the school record.

Vesely and Payton Dawson each caused four turnovers.  In goal, Ella Lane made 10 stops on 29 shots faced.  

The Berg returns to action on Wednesday at Westminster College.