Colby College's Eliza Dean scored just before time expired in the fourth quarter and lifted the Mules to a 10-9 NESCAC win against the Hamilton College Continentals at Tierney Field in Sparks, Md., on Thursday afternoon.
 
The loss was the first in six games this spring for nationally ranked No. 13 Hamilton. The Continentals dropped to 3-1 in the NESCAC. Hamilton is off until Saturday, April 2 when the Continentals take on Wesleyan University for another conference showdown in Middletown, Conn., at noon.
 
No. 9 Colby (5-1, 3-0 NESCAC) scored five goals in the fourth quarter after collecting five in the first three quarters combined. The Mules trailed by two goals with a minute left but scored three times in the final 48 seconds.
 
Aine Cleary '25 paced the Hamilton offense with three goals, Olivia Seymour '22 chipped in two goals and an assist, and Clarissa Hurley '23 added a goal and two helpers. Eva Abel '22 notched two goals and Chloe Chiota '24 had one. Alana King '24 scooped up four ground balls and Seymour won six draws. Meghan Lane '24 came up with four draw controls and two caused turnovers.
 
Maeve Luparello '23 started in goal and made four saves. Kaitlin Reed '24 turned away two shots in the second quarter, Casey Fiore '24 stopped one in the third and Maggie Reville '22 had four stops in the fourth.
 
Elizabeth Hennessey led the Colby offense with three goals, Ally Franz and Annie Eddy had two apiece, and Gianna Bruno picked up two assists. Lauren Jennings contributed three ground balls and Dean won three draws, including the ones that led to the tying and winning goals. Emily Podgorni made eight saves in 58-plus minutes.
 
Neither team led by more than two goals in this tight contest that featured seven ties and two lead changes. The Continentals trailed 3-2 when they scored three straight goals in the last five minutes of the second quarter. Cleary had two of the goals and Seymour notched the other. Hamilton led 5-3 at the half.
 
The Mules didn't own a lead for the last 35 minutes. Colby tied the score at 5-5 late in the third quarter, 6-6 early in the fourth and 7-7 midway through the fourth. A Mules player was given a yellow card with 7:06 remaining, and Hurley found Abel for a goal and 8-7 lead while the Continentals had the advantage with 5:49 to go. Chiota took a pass from Hurley and scored to make it 9-7 with 2:47 left.
 
Lane won the ensuing draw for Hamilton but the Continentals turned the ball over and Podgorni gained possession of the loose ball with 1:18 remaining. Hennessey pulled Colby within one with 48 seconds to go and Eddy scored the game-tying goal on a pass from Bruno with 18 seconds left.