Just minutes into last night's women's lacrosse game against Princeton, Melissa Lehman took a shot that the Quakers thought had put them up 1-0.
However, the referees ruled that the ball had not crossed goalkeeper Colleen O'Boyle's line.
Who knew, though, that the one goal could have made the difference in the end during Penn's 8-7 loss to No. 10 Princeton last night?
"It was the beginning of the game ... not at the end," coach Karin Brower said. "So we weren't going to freak out about it."
Brower was on the other side of the field and didn't have a clear view, but Penn players on the field said it hit O'Boyle's stomach and rolled in, but that she picked it up quickly after.
Instead, the first goal of the game went the Tigers' way, as Katie Lewis-Lamonica put it in seconds later.
Had the Quakers (8-6, 3-3 Ivy) managed to pull out a win, it would have marked the first victory against the Tigers in 13 years. Instead Princeton (8-4, 5-0) continued its stranglehold over the Red and Blue by a narrow margin.
Regardless of the early setback, Penn came out and dominated the first period.
"They played really hard," Brower said of her team. "It was a much different game than [the 8-4 loss to Dartmouth on] Saturday."
The Quakers took 12 shots to Princeton's eight and also took control on more draws than the Tigers.
"The tempo of the first half was so amazing," senior defender Kate Parker said. "We were having a lot of fun on the field."
The Quakers finished the first 30 minutes up 6-5.
The second half marked a change in tempo, though; Princeton showed that it's a second-half team.
The Tigers outshot the Red and Blue 20-6 and had possession for all but about five minutes of the second frame.
"We had limited opportunities in the second half," senior Emily Cochran said. "We had to make something happen on only a few chances."
The Tigers took the lead six minutes in and then added another goal. Penn's Allison Ambrozy scored the Quakers' only goal of the second half with five minutes remaining. The goal pulled Penn back within one.
"I'm proud of them, they never gave up," Brower said.
In the final minute, Penn still had two chances to score.
Lehman took a shot with 35 seconds left that O'Boyle knocked wide. Then after regaining possession, Tarah Kirnan's shot was blocked by a Princeton defender.
With all of the pressure Penn applied late, Parker believes that the Tigers "were lucky that the clock ran out when it did."
Brower said that the team's trap worked well in the game and also stopped Princeton from scoring a lot in transition.
Karrie Moore played the entire game in goal for the Quakers, making six saves, while Princeton's Lewis-Lamonica and Holly McGarvie each netted three goals.
The Tigers are now just one Ivy League win away from clinching the title and an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
And the Quakers are left with one more notch on a streak that they'd rather forget.
Still, the narrow margin gave the team at least some hope.
"We're one step closer," said Parker, a departing senior. "When they meet again next year, Penn's going to win."
