Collegeville, Pa. -- University of Lynchburg's field hockey team suffered its first loss of the 2022 season Saturday, a 2-1 double-overtime heartbreaker on the road at No. 13-ranked Ursinus.

The Bears' Amanda Groeling scored the game-winner in the 73rd minute, tipping the scales in the hosts' favor.

Ursinus looked the part of a national top-15 team in the early going. The Bears forced Lynchburg goalkeeper Kayla Brady into action right away, but the junior was up to the task, making three saves in the first 4 minutes of play.

Ursinus broke up the shutout in the 14th minute, capitalizing on a penalty corner for a 1-0 lead that held until halftime.

The Hornets turned the tide after the break, dominating the early part of the third before Emily Yanes finally broke through in the 39th minute. Kessa Romero drove the ball up the right sideline and played it toward the arc, where Marlou Wendriks tracked it down just in front of the end line and, seeing the goalie positioned aggressively, shoved the ball toward center. A waiting Yanes put her fifth goal of the season away.

Both defenses held fast for the remainder of regulation and through the first overtime period. Brady made two saves in the first OT and another early in the second -- the junior had a season-high 11 total -- before Groeling tracked down the ball in the circle and played through contact to score the game-winner at the 72:22 mark.

Saturday marked the second-straight year the contest between the two national powers reached overtime; Lynchburg won a 4-3 thriller in 2021 at Liberty University. The Hornets have gone into overtime twice already in the 2022 season, defeating Mount Olive for a season-opening 4-3 victory September 1.

Lynchburg (2-1) will stay the night in the Keystone State and will take the field again at Ursinus Sunday for a 2 p.m. date with Juniata College.

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--LYN--