Updated May 23 3 p.m.
TOWSON, Md., May 22 - Penn almost pulled off one the biggest comebacks in NCAA history, yet fell just short of the incredible.
Down 11-7 with 9:14 to go in the NCAA national semifinal against No. 1 Northwestern, the No. 4 Quakers tallied four straight goals, sending the game into overtime.
In overtime freshman Erin Brennan scored with just 10 seconds left in the first half, but since it was not a sudden death round, Northwestern still had a shot. Winning the draw, the Wildcats pushed the ball up, eventually getting a shot off with roughly two seconds left. But goalkeeper Emily Szelest saved it.
However, NU's Katrina Dowd somehow managed to knock the rebound in despite being on her knees, right as time expired. Then in the second overtime, which is a sudden death round, Meredith Frank scored the winning goal with 1:31 left as Penn lost, 13-12.
The Wildcats (22-0) have won the last four national championships, and will get the chance for number five tomorrow against No. 3 North Carolina who upset No. 2 Maryland, 8-7, in the other semifinals.
"Kudos to Penn," Northwestern coach Kelly Amonte-Hiller said. "That game was definitely a thriller."
Junior Ali DeLuca led the Quakers (15-3) with four goals and an assist, but the player of the game was Dowd, who scored four of her own, including that shot from her knees at the end of the first half of overtime when she flicked the ball over her head and into the net as time expired.
"I knew there wasn't much time left so I just swung at the ball and tapped it," the junior said. "It was a hockey-like goal. . Honestly, I had no idea where the ball was going when I shot the ball."
Penn was equally dumbfounded the goal went in.
"Nothing against her, but I think it was a lot of luck," Penn senior defense Katie Mazer said. "It was an unbelievable shot."
In addition to being an incredible display of athleticism as well as saving Northwestern's season, the goal gave her 18 for this tournament - with still one more game to play - setting a new NCAA Tournament record. The previous 17-goal mark was shared by Dowd's teammate Hilary Bowen in 2008 and Delaware's Karen Emas in 1984.
"Breaking the record in a game we won makes it more memorable so I can enjoy it, thanks to Meredith [Frank]," Dowd said. "If we had lost, the record wouldn't have meant anything to me."
Just the fact that Northwestern had to rely on a circus shot to keep alive of its hopes of continuing the championship streak was remarkable. Penn had only beaten the Wildcats once in the last seven matchups, including an 11-9 loss in Evanston, Ill., earlier this season.
Several times in this game it looked like the Quakers were simply overmatched. They gave up three quick goals in the game's first five minutes, and after trading goals, found themselves down 4-1 with less than 17 minutes left in the first half.
Although they'd cut their deficit down to just one at halftime, the Quakers couldn't cut the lead anymore in the second half, as it seemed anytime Penn would score, Northwestern would counter on the next possession.
Then when Danielle Spencer scored her third goal of the game with 9:14 left to make it an 11-7 game, all 7,549 spectators thought that Penn was done.
But the team still had confidence they could come back.
"We've been behind this year so I never thought the game was getting away from us," Penn coach Karin Brower said. "I have so much faith in them because they never give up."
With 6:22 left, senior Samantha Bird earned a free position shot, and netted the ball past Northwestern goalkeeper Morgan Lathrop. After the next draw went NU's way, the Quakers caused a turnover and marched down the field, with DeLuca ripping off a monster shot for her fourth goal with just 3:01 remaining. That goal gave her both 40 for the season and 100 for her career.
But the Quakers weren't done yet, as they still need two goals to force overtime. They got those goals off another free position shot from sophomore Giulia Giordano and then Bird again off a Giordano assist.
"We were able to stay calm and be a cohesive unit on attack," DeLuca said of the charge to tie it up.
In overtime, Northwestern won the draw, and tried to wait out the clock. But Penn eventually caused a turnover and stormed down the field. Then with 10.8 seconds remaining, Brennan scored the go-ahead goal on a bouncing shot.
"She's been great for us," Brower said of her Ivy League Rookie of the Year. "She's one of the most exciting players that we have."
"She's a rock star," Mazer added.
Rock star or not, Brennan soon lost the spotlight to Dowd and her aerobatic goal. So Brennan finished her rookie campaign with the taste of heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Wildcats, something which has happened to Penn in each of the last three seasons on the final weekend. Two years ago they were trounced 12-2 in the semifinals at Franklin Field, and then last year they lost, 10-6, at the same Johnny Unitas Stadium where they almost pulled off a great comeback.
But for Northwestern, they were just happy to pull out the most exciting win of the year.
"I'm really happy for what happened today since we'll appreciate Sunday," Amonte-Hiller said. "We knew [the Quakers] weren't going to roll over, so we were ready for anything."
Well thanks to Dowd's miracle shot, anything except losing.
