Senior forward Holly Lesperance scored with 7:21 to play but the Lake Forest College women's hockey team was unable to complete the comeback and fell 2-1 at Adrian College Friday night.
Adrian had taken the early lead at 4:35 in the opening period and doubled the difference with 1:23 to play in the second.
The Foresters finally got on the scoreboard when Lesperance, who now has eight goals this season, lit the lamp 26 seconds into the visitors' third power play opportunity of the night. Lake Forest was unable to score again, however, despite pulling the goalie with 25 seconds remaining in the contest.
The Bulldogs had a 14-6 advantage in shots on goal in the first period but were out-shot by the Foresters 12-9 in the second. Forester senior goaltender Allie Carter had eight saves in the final 20 minutes but just one of Lake Forest's seven shots on goal in the third found the net.
Carter's 29 saves on the night were her second-highest total of the season.
Adrian entered the week ranked second in the nation and Lake Forest fourth by USCHO.com. They are now tied atop the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association standings with identical league records of 15-1-1. The Foresters are now 20-2-2 and the Bulldogs 21-1-2 overall.
The same two squads will face off again at Adrian Saturday afternoon at 3:00 (EST) with the winner claiming the 2015-16 NCHA regular season championship and the #1 seed in the Slaats Cup Playoffs. The teams would share the league title and, due to a 7-4 advantage in head-to-head goal differential this season, Lake Forest would earn the top seed in the case of a tie.
