The Hope College women's lacrosse team started big in the first game of the season, taking on a nationally-ranked team and fellow 2023 NCAA Division III national tournament qualifier Capital University (Ohio).
In a thriller that needed overtime to decide an outcome, No. 19-ranked Capital edged the Flying Dutch, 13-12, in the home opener on Saturday afternoon at Van Andel Soccer Stadium.
Hope kept the Comets (3-0) to their lowest goal total this season and recorded the closest score-margin against them this season.
"I think our defense and our goalies absolutely killed it today, and I think that's what we knew we needed to do in order to hold a team like that who scores 20-plus goals on every team they play," head coach Keagan Pontious said. "So that gave us a chance to win the game."
The Flying Dutch jumped to a 3-1 lead early thanks to a pair of goals from sophomore Julia Brown (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Central HS) and one from senior Elena Salazar (Howell, Michigan / Hartland).
Capital used a six-goal second quarter to take a 7-5 lead at halftime.
Hope used its own six-goal quarter to surge back within just one goal. Only two goals would be scored in the final quarter, and the single overtime period.
Senior Molly Frederickson (Alto, Michigan / Lowell) found the game-tying goal with just under seven minutes remaining in regulation.
Capital's Andi Henry netted the game-winner with 1:14 remaining in the three-minute overtime.
Salazar topped Hope with four goals in the first game of the season and sent out a team-high 19 shots.
Frederickson put in three goals for Hope, and sophomore Sydney LaPrairie (Rochester, Michigan / Stoney Creek) had a single goal.
Both senior Maddie Yakes (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford) and sophomore Samantha Smith (Westfield, Indiana / Westfield) saw time in net, with Yakes making eight saves and Smith with two.
The Hope defense kept Capital's top scorer to her lowest number of goals this season. Grace Osburn finished with a team-high six points and has 261 for her career.
Hope hits the road on Friday, March 1, at 7 p.m. to take on John Carroll University.
