LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Eighty minutes wasn't enough to decide a winner in the Bellarmine-Lindenwood field hockey game today as the visiting Lions eventually secured a 4-3 win in a shootout. 
 
Bellarmine held the advantage the majority of the game, but Lindenwood pulled its goalie late in regulation play and the strategy appeared to work as the Lions scored with just 1:59 remaining to knot the score at three apiece.
 
Both squads had golden opportunities to end the game in both overtime periods, but goalies Breanna McWhorter of Bellarmine and Lindenwood's Mackenzie Litterst were up to the task.  After combining for 23 shots in the opening 60 minutes of play, the Knights and Lions fired 13 shots in the 20 extra minutes.
 
With the score still tied after 80 minutes, the game went into a shootout in which each team selects five players for an eight-second, one-on-one situation with the goalie. The Knights were denied in their first two attempts while the Lions were successful on their first two.  Bellarmine converted in its third attempt and appeared to get a stop and Lindenwood's third attempt.  However, due to a clock issue the Lions' Izzy Folan was given another opportunity, and this time she cashed in, putting Lindenwood up 3-1, meaning the Knights had to score on its next two attempts to keep the game going.  When Bellarmine's next attempt failed, the Lions secured the victory.
 
The play on the field was entertaining for the first 80 minutes as Bellarmine and Lindenwood were as evenly matched as the score would indicate. 
 
The Knights drew first blood in the game's seventh minute when Merit Harris scored her 12^th goal of the season, drilling a shot from the middle of the circle off a nice feed from Cassidy Sweeney. Lindenwood would square the match early in the second period when Bridget Hoogendijk found separation from the Bellarmine defense and dribbled into the top of the circle and rifled a shot from long range.
 
Bellarmine answered six and a half minutes later when the Knights worked the ball deep into Lindenwood territory, and April Paulson flipped a pass from near the endline to Mandi Isom, who was right in front of the cage.  Isom managed to redirect the ball past Litterest for the go-ahead goal.
 
However, Lindenwood's Hoogendijk had an immediate response, taking the ensuing possession straight down the field and firing a shot into the back of the cage just 10 seconds after the Bellarmine goal.
 
Bellarmine broke the tie 8:39 into the third quarter when Jillian Fazio converted off a penalty corner with Sweeney contributing her second assist of the day.
 
The Knights were able to keep the Lions at bay until late in the game when Hoogendijk completed the hat trick with her third goal.  This score also came in transition as Isabella Shannon forced the issue with a pass into the circle that Hoogendijk finished.
 
The two overtime periods provided fans a lot of exciting action as the seven-on-seven format opened up the field for more scoring opportunities with both goalies coming up big for their teams.  McWhorter stopped four Lindenwood would-be goals, and Litterest came up with six saves in the 20 minutes of overtime.
 
Final stats showed both teams with 18 shots on the day, and the Knights earning four more penalty corners (12-8).
 
The Knights return to action on Saturday when they're on the road at Coker at 1 p.m. with a game at Newberry the following day.  Bellarmine and Lindenwood will square off once more when the Knights travel to St. Charles, Missouri for Nov. 2 game with the Lions.
 
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BOX SCORE (HTM)