The weekend started with a crushing loss.

The weekend ended with a vindicating win.

For the No. 6 Penn State (13-3, 3-2 Big Ten) field hockey team, a 3-1 loss Friday at home to Big Ten leader No. 2 Michigan (15-2, 6-0) meant its hopes for a conference championship vanished.

However, yesterday the Lions went back to their home field and held on to stun No. 1 Old Dominion (15-2), 3-2, in front of the largest and loudest crowd at Bigler Field this season.

"I think the biggest thing was that we played intense for 70 minutes," Penn State field hockey coach Char Morett said. "I think the other thing is that we came out believing that we could win this game. That's a huge step for this team."

Penn State stepped onto the field and did not wait long to score against the nation's top team.

Junior forward Timarie Legel made a spectacular sprawling dive to reach a pass from Michelle Rigby and knock in the Lions' first goal with just over two minutes into regulation. Legel and Rigby would lead a possessed Penn State offense that kept the Lady Monarch defense on its heels in the first half.

"We felt we had something to prove," Legel said.

On the other side of the field, the Penn State defense kept Old Dominion scoreless after the first half, but also contributed to the offensive front when back Kelly Concini scored off a penalty corner deflection a minute into the second half.

"It's always fun to get up in front of the cage," Concini said. "Both my goals were just kind of reactions. It just sort of happened."

The game would eventually be sealed by a goal off the stick of Karin Grap who came off the bench for Rigby. Grap set up the goal initially after she received a pass at the midfield line from Legel, and went virtually unchallenged down the left wing to deliver the knockout blow to Old Dominion.

"I just knew it was one other girl and the goalie," Grap said. "I had to get pass the one girl and I did. The ball came off so many people, then I was the last one to put it in. Whoever put it in at that point was the hero and it happened to be me."

The Lady Monarchs got on the board halfway through the second half when freshman Rosalinda Banuelos cracked a one timer past goalie Annie Zinkavich. Their second goal went contested by Penn State, after it appeared that Old Dominion's Angie Loy shot the ball outside the circle, thus negating the score. The officials signaled that the goal stood.

"I thought it was outside the circle," Morett said. "I don't think there was any doubt about it."

Not only was the game a battle between the No. 6 and No. 1 teams in the nation, but it was a duel between the winningest and fourth winningest field hockey coaches in NCAA history.

Anders is also the NCAA all time leader in wins for field hockey, while Morett is currently fourth.

"I have the greatest respect for her more than any coach because I know when I play with her she is such a great competitor," Morett said.

The win yesterday overshadowed Penn State's stale performance in the loss against Michigan on Friday.

All-American candidate April Fronzoni scored first for the Wolverines, followed by two goals from Stephanie Johnson that knocked Penn State out of Big Ten championship contention.