The Northwestern lacrosse team is not used to trailing opponents, and the Wildcats are even more unfamiliar with losing.

The No. 6 Cats did both Thursday afternoon at Lakeside field.

NU suffered a 10-9 overtime defeat to No. 10 Vanderbilt in its final conference game of the season.

The Cats (14-2, 5-1 American Lacrosse Conference) fought back from a 5-1 first-half deficit to grab the lead with seven minutes remaining. But Vanderbilt (10-4, 5-1) tied the game minutes later and emerged victorious in the second overtime. NU’s defeat ended the team’s 13-game unbeaten streak.

An NU victory would have earned the Cats the ALC’s first automatic playoff berth in the conference’s three-year history. The loss left them with a share of the league title. NU and Vanderbilt both finished 5-1 in the conference, but Vanderbilt receives the bid based on head-to-head competition.

But the Cats still are likely to see playoff action. Eight NCAA at-large bids will be handed out Sunday, and NU probably will receive one, based on its 14-2 record and decisive wins against several ranked teams.

The probability of postseason play made the loss less bitter for the team.

“This game just gives something to get us fired up for the tournament, if we end up going,” freshman Aly Josephs said. “I don’t think it’s anything to be upset about, losing two games this season.”

The Cats’ offense, which ranked third nationally before Thursday, was held to a single-digits. NU’s sixth-ranked defense allowed 10 goals or more for only the second time in the past nine games. NU also allowed the game’s first goal for only the fourth time this year.

For a team that had scored within five minutes in its last three games and outscored its opponents 34-7 in the first half, NU started slowly.

“We were kind of lazy in the first half,” Josephs said. “We lacked momentum and energy, and they were a great team.”

Vanderbilt struck first in the few minutes, and the scoring stopped until the 19-minute mark. The Cats were losing draws, dropping balls and being held to the perimeter in their offensive zone. Play remained near the Cats’ net as they struggled to strip the ball from their opponents.

The Commodores then notched goals before and after NU’s Sarah Albrecht picked up a free-position shot, and the half ended 5-1.

At halftime, coach Kelly Amonte Hiller tried to get NU to understand the game’s importance and the urgency of Vanderbilt, which has nine seniors looking for one last chance at the tourney.

“(We) were lacking hustle,” Amonte Hiller said. “I think they thought it was just another game, and this was a high-stakes game.

“I told them several times, ‘Vanderbilt’s not going to roll over and die. They want this bad.'”

The Cats came out and notched six goals while allowing only one, making the score 7-6 with less than seven minutes in the game. But Vanderbilt tied it up, and NU freshman Kristen Kjellman’s potential winning goal was disallowed in the final minutes, forcing two three-minute overtime periods.

Josephs opened the overtime scoring, and the teams traded goals. NU appeared to have the momentum with the score tied 9-9, but Vanderbilt netted the winning goal in the second overtime.

“Overtime was like a roller coaster,” sophomore Laura Glassanos said. “You’re up one, you’re down one. You’re never comfortable ever, and you can’t get too excited.”

The NU bench fell silent after the game as the Cats coped with their second loss of the season. But players said they were satisfied with a strong comeback performance against a veteran team.

“I think the game hopefully says a lot about us,” Ashley Koester said. “We have enough talent and enough guts to come back and make it a good game.”

The game also prepared the team for its expected NCAA appearance, Amonte Hiller said. The Cats learned the importance of a strong start, and they now have motivation to play well in the postseason, she said.

“I’m really happy this game happened,” Amonte Hiller said. “We didn’t get blown out, we came out and fought hard. For me, the timing of this lesson is very good.

“We’re going to refocus, we’re going to work our butts off and we’re going to be ready to give it our all in this tournament.”