DEXTER – The third-seeded Dexter High School Tigers were staring at an early exit from the Eastern Maine Class C field hockey quarterfinals Tuesday.

But Jessica Mason saved the day.

Dexter’s junior right wing tied it with just 1:28 left in regulation and converted a breakaway off a Denise Robinson pass with 4:15 left in the first overtime as the Tigers escaped with a 3-2 triumph over sixth-seeded Stearns of Millinocket.

The opportunistic Minutemen, who lost 4-0 and 3-1 to the Tigers in the regular season, had led 2-0 with 22 minutes left.

Dexter, now 12-3, will travel to take on No. 2 Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln, 14-1, in Saturday’s 1 p.m. semifinal.

Dexter had a lopsided edge in time of possession and had 31 shots at goal to Stearns’ 8 and 16 penalty corners to Stearns’ 2.

But the 6-7-2 Minutemen worked hard and efficiently in the defensive third, goalie Melissa Sheridan made six saves in a stellar performance, and they capitalized on their chances with Adriana Eurich and Molly Legassey scoring 3:20 apart in the first half off feeds from Rebecca Leavitt.

Jana Kenney began the Dexter comeback when she got her stick on Robinson’s shot from the top of the circle and directed it behind Sheridan with 21:08 remaining in regulation.

Dexter goalie Samantha Conway kept the Tigers within striking distance when she got her left pad on a close-in shot by Eurich from a tough angle to the goalie’s right after Eurich had made a terrific stickhandling move to beat a defender.

Moments later, Kenney crossed the ball from the right flank and a wild scramble ensued resulting in Mason’s goal.

“I don’t even know how it came about. It was so crowded and everything. It was a reverse stick [shot] and I just guessed where the goal cage was. I put it in the same corner where I was,” said Mason.

Michelle Chapman and Olivia Gardner assisted on it.

The teams went 7-on-7 in OT and Eurich had an early breakaway, but Conway came out and stopped her initial shot and dangerous rebound.

“My first shot wasn’t a good one, but on the second one, [Conway] dove out [headfirst] and saved it. It was disappointing,” said Eurich, who said her team played its “best game of the season.”

“I just knew it wasn’t getting in the goal. I was definitely getting it,” said Conway. “I rushed out at her, got back as quick as I could and I got the ball.”

Conway finished with four saves, including a penalty stroke stop.

A few minutes later, the ball came up to Robinson at midfield and she pushed it ahead to Mason, who sprinted in alone.

“[Sheridan] started coming toward me. I dribbled to my right and wanted to hit it to the opposite corner. It didn’t turn out that way, but it still went in,” said Mason, who put her shot to the near post side.

“I thought she was going to pass it off, but she shot it. There’s not much you can do about a one-on-one situation,” said Sheridan.

Eurich opened the scoring off a penalty corner. She got the corner to Leavitt and went to the near post to chip Leavitt’s return pass home.

Legassey made it 2-0 when she directed Leavitt’s free hit behind Conway.

“They came out hard and caught us offguard. They weren’t the team we played in the regular season,” said Robinson. “But we showed we have a lot of heart.”