If yesterday's intracity field hockey showdown between Penn and Temple had concluded after the first half, it would have been a storybook ending, with Nicole Black knocking home her first goal in a Penn uniform.
Temple had a different conclusion in mind, however, and used a three-goal surge in the second half to turn Penn's fairy-tale ending into a 3-2 defeat.
Black's goal with eight minutes remaining had pushed Penn's edge to 2-0.
"It felt really good," Black admitted, adding that "I'm just trying to get better every time."
It seemed as if the momentum that began with a hard-fought victory over then-No. 15 Villanova a week ago would lend the Quakers (5-5) an advantage over the Owls (5-8) and extend the team's winning streak to three.
However, Temple was quickly able to dampen any residual effect from the Quakers' recent big wins.
The Owls wasted no time in taking over the second half. Two minutes in, Temple midfielder Alli Lokey secured her team's first point.
A mere 90 seconds later, the Owls capitalized again on intense pressure and scored, knotting the game at 2-2.
The Quakers looked stunned. Their rooting section was silent. In less than two minutes, an entire half of dominance was erased, and the momentum shifted to the north side of Philadelphia.
After the initial flurry, the Penn regained its composure and began its attempt to recapture the lead. Despite forcing four penalty corners in the half, the Quakers failed to score and were eventually done in by a heartbreaking goal by Temple's Megan Hannahoe in the final minute.
So was the game won by Temple or lost by Penn?
"They outplayed us," Quakers coach Val Cloud -- who agrees with the former assessment -- said. She added that the Red and Blue thought the game would be "too easy" after cruising to a two-goal lead.
There was nothing easy about the second half for the Quakers, as they could only muster a single shot on goal and spent most of their time chasing down Lokey and company.
"We thought the game would win itself," said Lea Salese, who scored the other Penn goal. "We need to finish strong and stop making mistakes."
Salese hopes the team can get it together for the final games of her Penn career.
The Temple game gave Cloud the unusual opportunity of playing against her former assistant Amanda Janney, who is now the head coach of the Owls. Cloud downplayed the significance of the reunion, saying it was "no big deal."
It's hard to believe the same sentiment was shared on the opposing sideline, especially given the dramatic finish.
The Quakers look to start a new winning streak on Saturday at Virginia. With four Ivy League contests remaining, Penn still has an outside chance of capturing the conference title. The season crown could come down to the final game, an Ivy League classic against Princeton.
PENN 2 0 -- 2Temple 0 3 -- 3
Scoring: 1st Half: 1, PENN, Salese 6, 6:39; 2, PENN, Black 1, 27:00.
2nd Half: 3, Temple, Lokey 3 (Kinneman) 37:33; 4, Temple, Holman 8, 39:03; 5, Temple, Hannahoe 4 (Lokey, Stevenson) 69:36.
