CARY, N.C. — Blowing a late, two-goal lead against the team it almost always beats could have crushed the U.S. women's national team's confidence. Carli Lloyd wouldn't let it happen.

Lloyd's goal in the 91st minute gave the United States a 3-2 victory over Australia tonight in a character-building exhibition that the Americans hope marked their latest step toward another gold-medal Olympic performance.

"We hope when we get to Beijing, we're peaking at the right moment," Lloyd said. "Fatigue was setting in, but this team is about winning and we find a way to get it done."

The Australians scored twice in the final 6 minutes to rally from a late 2-0 deficit, tying it in the 88th minute when Cheryl Salisbury followed her deflected penalty kick with a header that got past Hope Solo.

"I thought we were actually going to steal a draw," Australia coach Tom Sermanni said.

Instead, Lloyd put the Americans ahead to stay in the first minute of bonus time. Cat Whitehill sent a free kick toward the goal, keeper Lydia Williams punched it into the air and Lloyd headed the ball into an empty net about 75 seconds before the final whistle sounded.

"I just made sure that I got into the box and followed through and headed it straight in the goal," Lloyd said. "I timed it well and just happened to be there at the right time."

Natasha Kai and Abby Wambach also scored for the Americans, who were playing on home soil for the first time this year and improved to 11-0-1 under new coach Pia Sundhage while fine-tuning their attack for Beijing. They overcame some soggy conditions, a 53-minute weather delay — and Australia's frantic comeback — to successfully kick off the three-city exhibition tour that precedes the Olympics and improve to 17-0-2 in the series.

"That's what's going to happen in the Olympics ... and we're just going to have to prepare and fight to the end, and that's what we did," Kai said.

Kate Gill also scored in the 86th minute for the Australians, who have never managed better than a pair of ties since the series began in 1987 — including the 1-1 draw four years ago at the Athens Olympics that put the eventual gold-medal-winning Americans into the quarterfinals.

"We just gave away a dumb free kick, and when you play America, you get Wambachs and the others ... you're going to be in trouble," Sermanni said. "And to be honest, we just kind of got ... edgy, when we should have just been calm and shut the game down and finished it off."

The United States, which won the previous meeting 2-0 during the 2006 Peace Queen Cup in South Korea, also remained perfect in four matches at the quaint stadium in suburban Raleigh where the NCAA annually crowns one of its national champions. But to do it, Sundhage's team had to contend with a field that was drenched after heavy rain began falling about an hour before kickoff.

Lightning and thunder claps pushed the start time back nearly an hour, the players spent much of the first half contending with puddles to the right of Williams and much of the second half was played in a steady downpour.

"I actually liked playing in this weather — you can't replicate it, and your touch has to be really on and you have to really focus to keep the ball at your feet," Lloyd said.

The Americans controlled play early, with Lloyd and Wambach peppering Williams. Kai put the United States up 1-0 in the 35th minute when she bounced a shot off the inside of the right post and past the keeper for her seventh goal of the year.

"Our job is to score, and I think the scorers are getting a lot of opportunities, and we're in the perfect spot to get a goal or two," Kai said.

Wambach made it a two-goal game in the 49th minute by scoring in her fifth straight game. She took a cross from Amy Rodriguez and headed the ball past Williams for her 93rd career goal, moving her closer to becoming the eighth player to reach the century mark in international play.

Heather Garriock assisted on Gill's goal to highlight her 100th international appearance. The 25-year-old midfielder became the youngest Australian player to reach 100 caps.

Defender Heather Mitts, who tore knee ligaments last May in a friendly against Canada, made her first start and appearance of the season for the Americans, who have a rematch with Australia on May 3 in Birmingham, Ala., before they face the Canadians a week later in Washington.