Ryan Brennecke / The BulletinBends Natalie Hand (20) runs past a Liberty defender to score during the first half in Bend on Monday.

A successful season for Bend came to a painful end Monday evening.

Liberty scored the game-winning goal as time ran out in the second half, giving the Falcons from Hillsboro an 11-10 victory over Bend in the first round of the Oregon Girls Lacrosse Association state playoffs.

The defeat at rain-soaked 15th Street Field drew the curtain on a surprising first season for a Bend squad that included players from both Bend and Mountain View high schools. Bend (10-4) won its final four games of the regular season to finish tied for second place in the South League.

Bend was the No. 16 seed in the 24-team playoff field, Liberty was No. 17. and the playoff match was as close as the seedings.

“It was just kind of how we expected it to go, a one-goal game,” Bend coach Carolyn Walton said.

Bend trailed 2-0 early but charged back to take a 7-5 halftime lead. The home team’s biggest advantage of the match was 8-5 early in the second half, but after that, the Falcons had the better of play.

Liberty (7-9), the No. 4 team from the Northwest Oregon League, pulled even at 9-9 with 12 minutes remaining, and two minutes later the Falcons regained the lead at 10-9. With just three minutes left, Bend’s Natalie Hand netted her team-leading fourth goal of the contest to tie the score again at 10-10.

Also scoring for Bend were Joren Fettig with three goals, and Allie Rockett with two goals and three assists, and Remy Ogden with a goal. Bend goalie Ally Hand was credited with 11 saves.

When Liberty won it in the final seconds, the Bend players were predictably crushed. But after wiping away some tears, team members celebrated their season by sliding into puddles on the wet and muddy field. Walton, the first-year coach, led the way.

“We have to be proud, just to make it to state in our first year,” said Walton. “To finish 10-4 in our first season, and make the playoffs, I think that shows potential for the years to come.”

Editor’s note: The headline for this story has been corrected. In the original headline, the Lava Bears’ opponent was misidentified. The Bulletin regrets the error.