Perseverance pays off.

Just ask Kelly Backenstoe and her Northampton field hockey team.

After four-straight losses, Backenstoe told her team to "just persevere. We'll get back on track."

And that's what happened Tuesday night as the Konkrete Kids edged host Parkland 2-1 in overtime.

The win not only ended the Kids' skid, but sent them into a tie for first place with Parkland and Nazareth in the Lehigh Valley Conference's North Division with a 9-4 record.

Northampton, which is now 11-5 overall, closes out its LVC season against Nazareth at home Thursday and winds up regular season action at home for a nonleague game with Pocono Mountain East.

The Kids, who fell to Whitehall 5-1 last Saturday during a Senior Day game, bounced back Tuesday in spectacular fashion.

After Parkland took a 1-0 lead in the first half on a goal by Avery Semler, the Kids fought hard defensively with Tori Pizzoferrato playing "a fantastic midfield game," according to Backenstoe.

"Bri Dalton and her sister Shannon Dalton (goalie) came up with great communication plays and Amber Saylor was outstanding on offense," Backenstoe said.

But, perseverance was the key as Northampton tied the game at 1-1 on Rachel Heimbach's goal on a corner pass from Kate Fehnel as the game-ending horn sounded.

It was Fehnel who won the game on a "straight-on" shot with 5 and half minutes gone in overtime. It was also Fehnel who scored Northampton's lone goal in the loss to Whitehall – a day after her 18th birthday.

"I'm very elated," Backenstoe said Tuesday after the win over Parkland. "I told the girls before the game we have to regroup. And now we're in a great position for the LVC playoffs and District 11 tournament. We're back on track."

For the season, junior Megan Wiest is top scorer with 13 girls and five assists, while Heimbach (another junior) has 12 goals and four assists. Fehnel, a senior co-captain with Bri Dalton, has 10 goals and 11 assists.

Taylor Kerbacher another senior has five goals and seven assists, while junior Makenna Marhefka has four goals and Saylor two.

Other goals have been scored by Bri Dalton, Hannah Marth, Meghan Hemingway, Kennedy Jamicky, and Alyssa Tomsic.