GRANVILLE, Ohio - In a rematch of the 2015 North Coast Athletic Conference title game, Oberlin College women's lacrosse traveled south to take on the Big Red of Denison University. The back-and-forth, overtime tilt was close wire-to-wire, but like last year's title bout the Yeowomen finished on the wrong side of the scoreline, 11-10.

Overtime heroics for the Big Red and a slight breakdown in defense from the Yeowomen led to Oberlin's first overtime loss of the year. The defeat is the first conference stumble of the for Oberlin and slides the Yeowomen to 7-4 overall and 2-1 in league play.

Oberlin's Hannah Heinke-Green opened the scoring on Saturday afternoon rattling home her fifth of the campaign. Denison's Claire Ludlow answered and erased the Oberlin lead with back-to-back goals. Grace Barlow flung in her 31st of the year to knot the game at 2-2.

Ludlow claimed her hat-trick goal at the 22:18 mark in the first half, but not before registering an assist on the third Denison goal scored by Reid Hirschey.

Trailing 4-2, the Yeowomen exploded for four unanswered goals starting with Maggie Mullard collecting her first of the day. Barlow registered the equalizing goal, while Marissa Maxfield continued the scoring run with a little help from Suzanna Doak to push the scoreline to 5-4 in Oberlin's favor.

Mullard notched her second goal with 4:22 left in the first stanza to the Yeowomen to a two-goal lead, but the Big Red's Leah Israel tickled the twine with under a minute remaining in the half, trimming the Oberlin lead to one, 6-5 at the intermission.

Ludlow refused to be stopped as she netted the first second-half goal and her fourth of the game to knot everything at six apiece. 

Michaela Puterbaugh caged her second of the campaign for the go-ahead goal minutes later, followed by another Yeowomen score courtesy of Doak, her 19th of the season.

Denison answered back, but Natalie Rauchle swiftly retaliated to collected her conference-leading 37th goal of the year.

On top of the Big Red 9-6, the Yeowomen surrendered three unanswered goals, which ultimately led to their undoing in regulation. Carol Allen and Ludlow connected to open the scoring run as Israel followed, sneaking her second goal of the game past Oberlin goalie Alexa L'Insalata.

L'Insalata would close the contest with a season-best 16 saves against the Big Red elevating her season total to 90.

Israel and Allen found the right chemistry and Israel netted her third score of the day with an assist from Allen to earn Denison a 10-9 advantage with 12:15 remaining in regulation.

Despite their efforts in the offensive zone, it took nearly nine minutes for the Yeowomen to find the back of the Denison net and level the game at 10-10.

Maxfield banged in her second of the game to even the scoreline. As the clocked ticked to under a minute remaining, the Yeowomen had possession in their offensive third, but squandered the scoring opportunity with a turnover, which sprang a fast break for Denison. The Big Red ran the transition offense into the Oberlin zone and nearly earned a last second attempt at goal, but an errand pass let time tick away and regulation to come to a close.

Both sides entered the six-minute, sudden death overtime period needing a score to remain unbeaten in NCAC play. Just over two minutes into action, the Big Red were threatening around the Oberlin net. A few clutch saves by L'Insalata kept the Yeowomen alive, but a defensive mishap from Oberlin caused another turnover deep in their own end. 

The ball fell to Denison and eventually to Allen who found space, loaded up and released a hard shot that scurried past L'Insalata to close the NCAC thriller at Deeds Field.

The battle was evenly match on all fronts. In shots, the Big Red outworked the Yeowomen 31-27 with Denison winning the shots on goal margin, 27-18. Oberlin finished 15-of-19 (78.9%) on clear attempts, outperformed Denison in the field scooping up 20 ground balls to the Big Reds' 16 and L'Insalata's 16 saves doubled up the Denison keeper.

The stats that made the difference were Oberlin's 17 turnovers compare to the Big Reds' 14 and Denison dominated on the draw winning 16 draw controls to Oberlin's seven.

Next up, Oberlin women's lacrosse will return home to the Austin E. Knowlton Complex to host the Wittenberg University Tigers on Wednesday, April 13.

Action from underneath the flood lights of Bailey Field is set for 6 p.m.