Close games were a thorn in the Penn State field hockey team's collective side during the early stages of this season. Tough, close losses to quality opponents became a common theme, but the Nittany Lions (6-5, 1-0 Big Ten) refused to let those unfortunate outcomes become the norm.

Tuesday's 1-0 overtime triumph over Princeton (2-6) was the Lions' first overtime victory of the season.

Coming into Tuesday's game, Penn State coach Char Morett's team had lost four of five one-goal contests, with a pair of those losses coming in overtime. The teams in those games weren't exactly pushovers though, as four of those close losses came to teams currently ranked in the top 10.

Throughout the 0-3 stretch to start the season, co-captain Amanda Eckert emphasized the team's need to stay confident, for the players to keep their heads up. The team's other captain, Karin Grap, says that Eckert's call for confidence in the face of adversity has proven effective. All one has to do is look at the team's record after the first three games -- 6-2.

"We've built up so much confidence since those games that winning these close games was just something we needed to do to build even more confidence," Grap said after netting the game-winning goal against the Tigers.

Morett noticed differences between this overtime game and the previous ones this season.

"In previous overtime games we had a tendency to chase the ball and leave our positions," Morett said. "I think that we did a good job of staying in our positions tonight -- like when Mallory [Weisen] broke up that pass."

That pass to which Morett referred almost meant curtains for the Lions on Tuesday. Late in the overtime period, two Princeton forwards caught Penn State off guard, with only sweeper Mallory Weisen back to defend. One Tiger handled the ball all the way up to the dashed semicircle, then passed with the intention of giving her teammate a clear path to the goal, with no one but goalkeeper Megan Akstin left in the way.

If one is indeed the loneliest number, then Weisen -- a true freshman -- certainly was not informed of this as she boldly intercepted the menacing pass and saved the day, clearing the ball from the Penn State zone.

On the ensuing play, the Lions didn't let Weisen's effort go to waste. Michele Rigby passed to Grap, who was wide open and didn't hesitate to find the back of the cage for the sixth time this season.

Akstin, who notched her Big Ten leading fifth shutout of the season on Tuesday, said the main difference between the team's play in tight games now and at the start of the season is an increased familiarity between the players.

"I think we've been playing together a little more, we've bonded a little bit," Akstin said. "Now we know how to play off of each other."

Morett said that fitness plays a critical part in winning overtime contests.

As Grap and Eckert attest, attitude and confidence don't hurt either.

The Lions have a different attitude now than they did even three weeks ago. Smiles can be found on the sidelines, a player here or there can even be seen dancing to the warm-up music before the game.

Morett said the Lions aren't quite where they should be, but concedes that in this particular close game, the team played well enough to dance.

"We didn't play at the top of our game, but I felt that we certainly played well enough to beat a very good team," she said.