Penn State goalkeeper Amanda Brown didn't stop a penalty kick on Sunday. She didn't have 11 saves and she didn't have to single-handedly keep her team in the game.

But even though all of those feats belonged to Rutgers' freshman keeper Robyn Jones, it was Brown who would arguably make the save of the game, propelling the Nittany Lions into the third round of the NCAA Tournament against Texas A&M at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Jeffrey Field.

For once, the statistics didn't tell the story. The Lions had dominated most of the game, but held just a 2-1 lead over the Scarlet Knights late in the second half. Several missed opportunities created an uneasy tension that was present in the Lions' loss to Wisconsin the week before.

So when Kelly Evans fired just the third shot of the game for the Knights right on net with less than 10 minutes to go, things could have collapsed for the Lions.

Instead, Brown dove to her side and preserved the lead and Penn State pulled away.

Despite the clutch save, the Manasquan, N.J. native took the blame for allowing Rutgers' lone goal -- an impossibly perfect shot from the midfield by Carli Lloyd that sailed over her head.

"She hit a bomb and it started hooking," Brown said. "I guess I just misread it. I'm going to learn from the mistake."

Brown has done well learning from mistakes this season. Though she has struggled at times, her recent performances have her peaking at the most important time of the year.

"I think she's been a little bit inconsistent this season," Penn State coach Paula Wilkins said. "But that being said, I believe that she was the person who kept us in the game against Wisconsin, so her confidence has come around at a very good time. I'm very excited to have her continue that in the next few games."

Despite not getting the victory, Brown's performance against the Badgers was easily her most impressive of the year. Her six saves over 120 minutes of play included a few fingertip deflections that sent the game to overtime.

Having Brown peak in the Lions' net has not only boosted her own confidence, but the players around her as well.

"She's really stepped up," senior captain Joanna Lohman said. "She has struggled a little bit this season, but she's getting confidence. She played her best game the whole year against Wisconsin and she's going to be a huge part of the team come playoff time. She's going to help us win games."

As a freshman last year, the sophomore keeper started every game for the Lions and led the team to its second College Cup appearance, a feat that she hopes to repeat this season.