DENVER – The Denver Pioneers women's lacrosse team erased a five-goal, second-half deficit to win 16-15 in overtime in the 2022 Big East Conference Championship Game on Saturday afternoon at Peter Barton Stadium.
 
It is DU's second-consecutive conference title after winning its first Big East championship last season, and it is Denver's third such conference tournament title after also winning the 2014 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship in 2014, which was also held at DU.
 
"I thought Georgetown played a great game. They came out hard and fast and they were all over us," said Denver head coach Liza Kelly. "I thought we made some adjustments at halftime, and I was really proud of how the team stuck with it. They knew they could win and it was honored to win on our home field."
 
Down 12-7 at halftime and then 13-8 early in the third quarter, the Pioneers tallied eight of the final 10 goals of the game. Graduate student Bea Behrins scored the game-winning goal 3:30 into overtime after receiving a pass from junior Julia Gilbert.
 
The victory marked DU's second comeback of five goals this season, as the squad erased a 6-1 deficit at No. 8 Michigan on March 13 to eventually win 9-8.
 
Behrins was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament as she finished with five goals in the championship game and four points (three goals, one assist) in the semifinals on Thursday against Connecticut.
 
The game-winner marked Behrins' 12th shot of the game and second of overtime, as she also had a quality look earlier in extra time but that chance went right into the stick of Hoyas goalkeeper Emily Gaven.
 
"There was actually a Georgetown girl coming in front of me, so it was a little nerve-wracking, but all of my teammates had confidence in me," Behrins said of scoring in OT. "After that first shot (that was saved earlier in overtime), they were all supporting me. My coach made me throw a ball in the net (at the overtime intermission) just to know that I could score. Everyone was so supportive."
 
Gilbert joined Behrins on the Big East All-Tournament Team with a game-high and career-best eight points on five goals and three assists. Four of Gilbert's goals and two of her assists came in the second half, which included a game-tying marker that made it 14-14 at 8:07 of the fourth quarter, an assist on Lauren Black's goal that gave DU a 15-14 lead at 4:24 and another helper on Behrins' game-winner.
 
Black also had a hat trick with three goals and one assist, and midfield Ellie Curry had a multi-point outing as well with one tally and two helpers. Sloane Kipp and Raegan Wilson each found the back of the net once for Denver.
 
The Pioneers used runs of four goals and three goals to erase their second-half deficit and took their first lead since the opening minutes of the game when Black tallied her 50th of the season with 4:34 remaining.
 
Georgetown responded to force overtime as Jordyn Sabourin tied the contest with 1:09 remaining, but the Hoyas couldn't get another. The Pioneers played shutdown defense in the final seconds after losing the ensuing draw control and then forced two tough shots by GU in overtime.
 
Denver won both draw controls in the overtime and finished with a 23-13 edge in the circle, which was tied for the most in a game this season. Sophomore Abby Jenkins—who set a DU postseason record with 11 wins in draws on Thursday versus UConn—broke the mark with 12 against Georgetown, including winning one and helping Behrins gain control of another in overtime.
 
Goalkeepers Emelia Bohi and Victoria Macres split time in net for the Pios, with Macres finishing the game and making four stops in the win.
 
Denver scored the opening goal as Behrins tallied her 60th of the season just 1:03 into the contest, but Georgetown responded with three in a row. The teams then traded tallies for the rest of the quarter; Gilbert was able to tie the outing at 5-5 late in the frame, but GU took the lead heading into the second as Kylie Hazen scored with three seconds remaining.
 
The Hoyas outscored the Pioneers 6-2 in the second stanza, which featured a four-goal run, and led 12-7 at the intermission.
 
DU was much better defensively in the second half. After allowing 15 shots in the first two quarters, the Pioneers outshot Georgetown 18-8 in the final 30 minutes and finished with a 4-1 edge in the overtime period.
 
"Honestly, we knew we could do it. We just needed to get the ball to our attackers and led them do what they do," said senior defender Kailee Lammers. "Honestly, our mentality was to just keep going. Liza [Kelly] said at the very beginning was to just find that one percent, and if we can just find that one percent and if everybody can find it, then we'll outrun anybody and we'll outwork any team."
 
In addition to Jenkins' 12 draw controls, Denver was led on defense by five draw controls by Lammers and a career-high three by Anna Palmisano. Sam Thacker had a game-high five caused turnovers while joining Sammie Morton with three ground balls apiece.
 
The Pioneers will now head to the NCAA Tournament which begins next week. Denver will find out who their opponent will be for the first round during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday at 7 p.m. MT on ESPNU.
 
NOTABLES

• Abby Jenkins, Kailee Lammers and Sam Thacker joined Bea Behrins and Julia Gilbert on the All-Tournament Team.
• The Pioneers have now won four straight games vs. Georgetown and improved to 7-5 all-time in the series.
• Denver was hosting the Big East Tournament for the first time in program history and was playing conference tournament games on its home field for just the fifth time.
• Lauren Black became the first freshman in the Big East to score 50 goals in a season since the conference's realignment in 2014.
• Bea Behrins now has 64 career goals, three shy of tying the DU record for the most in a season (67, Kristie Leggio, 2006 & 2007).
• Behrins now has 192 career goals, moving into second place for the most in program history (Ali Flury, 202, 2007-10).

 
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter
13:57 DU (1-0) - Bea Behrins (1), assist by Ellie Curry
13:16 GU (1-1) – Jordyn Sabourin (1), assist by Mary Pagano
12:37 GU (1-2) – Kylie Hazen (1)
9:18 GU (1-3) – Ali Diamond (1), free position shot
7:19 DU (2-3) – Lauren Black (1), assist by Julia Gilbert
4:59 GU (2-4) – Emma Gebhardt (1), assist by Ali Diamond
3:33 DU (3-4) – Ellie Curry (1)
2:33 GU (3-5) – Emma Gebhardt (2), assist by Erin Bakes
1:26 DU (4-5) – Bea Behrins (2), assist by Kayla DeRose
0:13 DU (5-5) – Julia Gilbert (1)
0:03.3 GU (5-6) – Kylie Hazen (2), assist by Erin Bakes
 
2nd Quarter
13:44 GU (5-7) – Ali Diamond (2), free position shot
12:21 DU (6-7) – Lauren Black (2)
10:23 GU (6-8) – Erin Bakes (1), assist by Kylie Hazen
8:28 GU (6-9) – Kylie Hazen (3), free position shot
8:04 GU (6-10) – Erin Bakes (2), free position shot
4:49 GU (6-11) – Erin Bakes (3), assist by Mary Pagano
2:59 DU (7-11) – Raegan Wilson (1), free position shot
2:05 GU (7-12) – Emma Gebhardt (3), free position shot
 
3rd Quarter
13:39 DU (8-12) – Julia Gilbert (2)
12:13 GU (8-13) – Mary Pagano (1), free position shot
8:29 DU (9-13) – Bea Behrins (3), assist by Ellie Curry
0:48 DU (10-13) – Julia Gilbert (3), free position shot
 
4th Quarter
13:38 DU (11-13) – Sloane Kipp (1)
11:31 DU (12-13) – Bea Behrins (4), assist by Kailee Lammers
10:16 GU (12-14) – Tatum Geist (1), free position shot
9:06 DU (13-14) – Julia Gilbert (4), free position shot
8:07 DU (14-14) – Julia Gilbert (5), assist by Lauren Black
4:34 DU (15-14) – Lauren Black (3), assist by Julia Gilbert (UP)
1:09 GU (15-15) – Jordyn Sabourin (1), assist by Erin Bakes
 
Overtime
2:30 DU (16-15) – Bea Behrins (5), assist by Julia Gilbert (UP)
 

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