ALBION, Mich. -- The Adrian College men's lacrosse team battled back multiple times and held a late fourth-quarter lead, but ultimately fell in heartbreaking fashion, 13-12, in overtime to Albion on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field.
Adrian (3-10, 1-3) saw a standout offensive performance from Alec Winegar, who led all Bulldog scorers with four goals and an assist. Trace Tidswell and Austin Selvage each added two goals and an assist, while the Bulldogs showcased balanced scoring with seven different players finding the back of the net.
The Bulldogs struck first, capitalizing on an early man-up opportunity as Selvage netted the opening goal. Albion answered with a pair of scores to close the first quarter with a 2-1 advantage.
The second quarter turned into an offensive battle, with Albion stretching its lead to as many as three. However, Adrian responded behind goals from Noah Carithers, Winegar, and Tidswell to stay within striking distance. A late goal from Bradyn Parrott cut the deficit to 7-5 heading into halftime.
Adrian surged out of the break with one of its strongest stretches of the game. The Bulldogs rattled off four goals in the third quarter, including a pair from Winegar, to take a 9-8 lead into the final frame.
The momentum carried into the fourth, where Adrian extended its lead to 12-8 following back-to-back goals from Selvage and Tidswell and another tally from David Harrison. Despite the four-goal cushion, Albion mounted a late comeback, scoring four unanswered goals in the final minutes to force overtime at 12-12.
In the extra period, Albion found the game-winner with just 32 seconds remaining to secure the 13-12 decision.
Josiah Karnehm made 27 saves in goal for Adrian, facing 40 shots on goal on the afternoon. Nico Palazzolo was strong at the faceoff X, going 14-of-28 with a team-high 10 ground balls.
As a team, Adrian outshot Albion 49-56 and converted on 2-of-4 extra-man opportunities, but turnovers (26) and a late defensive lapse proved costly in the setback.
The Bulldogs will look to bounce back as they continue conference play Wednesday at Calvin for a 7:00 PM opening face-off.
