“I wanted to cry,” Pergine said. “I wish the game was over at that point but I realized that we had like 20 minutes left in the game.”

The Hawkeyes defense managed to hold down MSU’s attack from that point on, not allowing MSU more than a single chance before clearing the ball from its half.

But with three minutes remaining on the clock, MSU was able to force the tempo of the game and earned a penalty corner. The shot, taken from the top of the circle was stopped dead by Iowa goalkeeper Lissa Munley and left unattended in front of the net. Unfortunately for the Spartans, an Iowa defender got to the ball first and was able to sweep a pass to the far end of the field, causing MSU to retreat all the way down the field.

As time ran off the clock, each second seemed to make the crowd more anxious. The large Iowa contingent that stayed an extra day in hopes of seeing its team advance to the Final Four for the first time since 1999 was just as nervous as the fans wearing Green and White, praying for overtime.

Then as the final seconds ticked off the clock, MSU was able to force one final corner.

The crowd stood on their feet and both benches gathered closer to the field, as the Spartans crowded every player they could onto the outside of the circle. The pass was crisp and a shot was fired at the cage, only to see Munley again stonewall the Spartans with a glove save, stopping the ball that was rising just above her pads.

An attempt to swat the ball in for a goal was missed and the Iowa team, fresh off its third victory over the Spartans this season, exploded with cheers.

“I think we were better prepared today coming out of the locker room,” head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof said. “I knew that it would be a one goal game and whoever scored first would be the winner. And that was the scenario … I think we played our best hockey in postseason play. And once again, we were inches away from advancing to the Final Four.”

For more coverage, see Tuesday’s edition of The State News.