It was a weekend that went down to the wire for both Penn State and William and Mary's men's soccer teams.

After each team squeaked out overtime victories in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last week, the third-round matchup between No. 15 Penn State and No. 25 William and Mary boiled over 90 regulation minutes and into overtime yesterday at Jeffrey Field.

The buzzer signaling the end of regulation was bad news for William and Mary (15-8-1) since Penn State (16-7) has seemed to make a routine out of overtime victories. The Lions continued the trend by edging William and Mary 1-0 for their third overtime victory in four games. Just two days earlier, Penn State slipped by defending National Champion North Carolina (14-7-1) in double overtime on the road by the same score.

When asked what three overtime wins in four games says about the team, Penn State head coach Barry Gorman said, "It says that they're giving the coach kittens."

"They should do it [score goals] during regulation."

Though Gorman hasn't actually birthed a litter of kittens just yet, he has plenty to be proud of. It's been quite a turnaround for the Lions since their disheartening 1-0 home loss to Michigan State on Oct. 20. Since that loss, Penn State has won seven games in a row.

"You win in the playoffs and you gain momentum," Gorman said. "It builds on itself."

During the Lions' playoff run, sophomore forward Chad Severs has built on his team-leading 13 regular season goals, nabbing at least one goal in four of Penn State's five playoff games, including both of this weekend's scores.

After Severs tallied seven goals in eight games to start the season, opponents have been like a heavy blanket trying to put out a blazing fire. Though he has often seen double coverage, Severs has managed to muscle through the tight defense.

"Chad doesn't hang his head," Gorman said. "He keeps pegging away for that one chance."

Severs' persistence appears to have worn off on his teammates. Freshman midfielder toughed it out against William and Mary de-spite the 20 stitches he received as a result of an injury against UNC two days earlier.

Senior defenseman Jorma Makippa scored two game-winning goals during the Big Ten Championships, one coming in the first round against Wisconsin and the other, a shootout penalty kick, against Indiana. Junior midfielder Anthony Calvano's gritty play and hustle has also created opportunities for the Lions.

"Hats off to Calvano and Makipaa," Gorman said. "They're the unsung heroes of the tournament."

The youth and depth that was once questionable quieted any criticism as it pulled together despite the absence of senior tri-captain Brent Jacquette, who has emerged as the team's leader. Gorman has repeatedly insisted that Jacquette's defensive play is worthy of All-American honors.

There was a time that when Jacquette's name was scratched from the lineup it equaled a loss.

The Lions discredited that theory when they filled in the holes after Jacquette went down eight minutes before the half against UNC Friday and sat out the game against William and Mary yesterday.

"The team is finally jelling," Gorman said.

"It doesn't matter how you start the season. What matters is how you end it, and they're picking the right time to win."

A team that drew comparisons to Gorman's 1997 squad that posted a 10-10-1 record, is now a team can now be considered a national championship contender as it has reached the NCAA quarterfinals for only the second time since 1986.

"This team is legitimate," Gorman said.

"They're an Elite Eight team."

Penn State takes on UCLA Saturday at 10 p.m. in Los Angeles.

If the Lions beat the Bruins, Happy Valley may be overpopulated with kittens