MVNU (11-5-1), the No. 2 seed in the six-team tournament, wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard when freshman forward Haley Sparks followed up a hard shot by junior forward Jessica Estep to give the Lady Cougars a 1-0 lead just 1:22 into the match. The goal was Sparks fourth of the season, while Estep notched her first assist.

The next 86 minutes were scoreless as it appeared that MVNU might post a 1-0 shutout. Then, in the 88th minute, Katie Christensen scored an unassisted goal for the No. 3 seeded Falcons (10-6-1) to knot the score at 1-1.

The score remained that way at the end of 90 minutes of regulation as the match moved into a 10-minute overtime period. Then, almost four minutes into overtime, senior midfielder Erin Miller took a corner kick for the Lady Cougars that sophomore midfielder Heidi Moeckel (left) headed off Notre Dame goalie Emilie Lamarche and into the back of the net as a giant dog-pile ensued as MVNU celebrated its 2-1 overtime win. The goal was Moeckel’s first of the season and only the second of her career, while the assist was Miller’s team-leading sixth of the season and the 17th of her career as she took over seventh place on the school’s all-time list.

Ironically, it was Miller, who earlier in the week dreamt that the Lady Cougars would beat Notre Dame 2-1 in overtime and that she would assist on the winning goal. On Friday, that script played out perfectly as MVNU made history and a wide-awake Miller was able to celebrate a very real victory along with her 23 very excited teammates.

"I cannot express how proud I am of the 24 girls on the team today,” said first-year head coach Daniel Seiffert. "Every single one of them put forth an amazing effort today and they were all involved in one way or another and took charge and ownership in their role to do whatever they could to make the team better. First and foremost, we always give all our praise, glory, and honor to God for the great opportunity to play at a great university like MVNU. The girls are very excited after a very emotional match against a good side in Notre Dame.”

"After going up so early, it seemed to be the longest match I have ever sat through,” Seiffert continued. "When you go up that early, the clock just seems to go slower and slower. When you give up a goal as late as we did and you are trying close out a team and make history, it can be a very devastating thing emotionally. However, I was very pleased with our girls’ mental toughness to be able to get to overtime and then get a goal off a corner kick. The heart and determination that our team showed was great and was exactly what we preach all the time.”

The Lady Cougars held a 13-7 advantage in total shots, an 8-5 edge in shots on goal, and a 5-1 margin in corner kicks. Junior goalkeeper Jenessa Loewen posted four saves for MVNU, while Lamarche finished with six saves for the Falcons.

The Lady Cougars, who have now won a season-high six straight matches, will advance to the AMC Tournament championship match at noon on Saturday against host Houghton, who won 3-0 over Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.) College in the other semifinal on Friday. Regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s match, both teams will advance to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round since the AMC receives two berths.

"We are looking forward to playing Houghton on Saturday and are very excited about playing in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round,” Seiffert added. "We are peaking at the right time, and we are taking everything one day at a time, one match at a time, and one practice at a time.”