ADRIAN, Mich. – The Adrian College women's lacrosse team battled to a heart-stopping 12-11 win over Albion College in the first round of the MIAA Championship, earning their first playoff victory in 11 years.

The Bulldogs came out firing, with Abby Malone lighting up the scoreboard twice in the first three minutes. Kacie Woodall added another to give Adrian an early 3-1 lead after the opening quarter.

Early in the second, Sarah Gross joined the scoring party, followed by a goal from Madeline Turcotte. Moments later, Malone completed her first-half hat trick. But Albion wasn't going down without a fight, they responded with a four-goal surge to steal a one-goal advantage heading into halftime.

Albion struck first out of the break, but Turcotte quickly answered for Adrian. Despite the push, the Bulldogs entered the fourth quarter trailing by two, their season hanging in the balance.

Turcotte sparked the comeback with her third goal of the night, with Gross following closely behind. Turcotte then buried her fourth to tie the game, but Albion again edged ahead with just 2:23 left on the clock. Refusing to quit, Woodall found the back of the net to level the score at 11.

With 1:51 remaining, Mariana Miller drew a crucial foul and stepped up for a free-position shot. Showing nerves of steel, Miller buried the game-winner, sealing the Bulldogs' historic playoff victory and sending Docking Stadium into a frenzy.

Adrian will now advance to the semifinals and face Hope College in Holland, Michigan. the opening draw is set for 7:00 PM.