The Hope College women's soccer team struck quickly in the second half, give the Flying Dutch a chance to make their NCAA Division III Tournament opener a successful one.

Their opponent, No. 22-ranked Lynchburg, Virginia, rose to Hope's challenge, answering late to win 3-2 on Friday at Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.

The Flying Dutch finished the 2016 season with a 15-4-2 overall record and as Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular-season co-champions and MIAA Tournament champions.

Hope evened the score at 2-2 just 3 minutes, 21 seconds into the second half. Senior Natalie Curry of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Grandville Calvin Christian HS) and junior Erin Brophy of West Lafayette, Indiana (West Lafayette) both netted unassisted goals in a span of 1:56.

It was Brophy's 11th goal of the season and Curry's sixth.

Lynchburg (15-2-3) answered 17 minutes to take the lead back and advanced to a second-round match against fourth-ranked Thomas More, a 3-1 first-round winner vs. Penn State-Behrend.