Just one second was left on the clock in sudden death overtime. All the Lady Icers had to do was hold on for one second and it would go to a shoot-out with the University of Maryland.

Sometimes, though, a second can seem like a lifetime.

And then, the unthinkable happened. A shot was taken, perhaps the shot heard round the world, and the puck trickled through the five-hole and into the net, leaving the Penn State women's ice hockey team in shock.

"Disappointment," Lady Icers coach Billie Willits said. "Absolute disappointment. We could have won it."

Penn State started off the Mid-Atlantic Women's Collegiate Hockey Association tournament with better luck, however. Playing Buffalo, they were more successful in that game, winning 3-2. Willits said the game was rather slow because of physicality.

Neither team was able to capitalize on goals in the first period, although each team tipped two in during the second period.

Jess Walsh scored both of Buffalo's goals, and Ellen Zajko got credit for the two goals tallied by Penn State.

Zajko showed her skills again in the third, gaining a hat trick and the winning goal for the Lady Icers.

Penn State was out-shot 2-1 in the Buffalo game, with goalie Jeannine Kausch keeping them alive.

"Jeannine did very well," Willits said. "She kept us in the game. When you are out-shot 2-1, your goalie is extremely important in the victory.

"We were able to persevere, to stay together even though the game was very tight in scoring. We did not lose our edge because of the physicalness. We did not let that distract us from our game."

After defeating Buffalo, the Lady Icers took on Maryland in a game that proved heartbreaking to Penn State.

"We started out sluggish in the first period," Willits said. "A number of our skaters just said that they were tired."

Willits said that Maryland probably had a psychological edge on Penn State early in the game.

"They have never beaten us and they were very intent on doing that. I think we just weren't as psychologically on edge as they were in that first period. We re-established ourselves by the second period, but the first may have made the difference."

Two goals by the Terrapins in the first period gave them the early lead. Penn State scored one goal in the second and added two more in the third. Maryland scored one of their own in the third and the teams were tied at three.

"The highlight of the game was that we came from behind to tie the score and take it into overtime," Willits said. "And we have struggled when we have been behind to be able to be successful. So, in terms of getting ready for nationals, that is an important aspect of the game."

Penn State is scheduled to meet up with Maryland again in its second game at nationals. With all the talk of nationals this year, perhaps the focus of the Lady Icers was not where it should have been for the MAWCHA tournament.

When asked if that was the case, Willits replied, "I didn't think I was, but that's always a possibility. We may have been looking beyond it to nationals."

The Lady Icers hope to be better prepared when they meet up with the Terrapins at nationals. In the MAWCHA tournament game, Maryland center Nina Fleming was the woman who did all the damage. She scored all four goals on the Lady Icers.

They will be strategizing to defend against her when the teams collide in the near future.

Because the Lady Icers were the champions of MAWCHA last year, when they defeated Pittsburgh, this loss to Maryland is hard to swallow.

Willits said that it all boils down to one factor.

"We broke down and gave them a shot that we shouldn't have given them."