It's amazing how quickly things can change. One minute, you're on cloud nine and nothing can go wrong. The next, you're slammed to the ground and nothing feels right.

The Penn State women's soccer team was enjoying the former after the first half of Sunday's showdown with Illinois.

In a game that was billed as a slugfest between the top two teams in the Big Ten, the Nittany Lions wasted no time in showing how big the disparity between first and second was.

It didn't matter that they were on the road. Or that they were taking on an upstart Fighting Illini squad that is loaded with talent and experience. They are the eight-time defending conference champions, who had not suffered a regular-season conference loss in over three years, and none of that mattered.

With forwards Aubrey Aden-Buie and Katie Schoepfer netting goals in a span of three minutes, Penn State had a seemingly insurmountable 2-0 lead and a chokehold on its opponent.

And, after spending the first 45 minutes dominating their (supposed) biggest competition in the conference this season, the only question mark surrounding the Lions was when -- not if -- they were going to claim their ninth Big Ten title.

Then, the winds off of Lake Michigan began to shift.

Less than 15 minutes into the second half, Penn State's lead was gone, Illinois had life, and it was a brand-new ballgame.

Suddenly, it matted that the Lions were on the road. And it mattered that they were taking on a formidable opponent on its home turf. But the eight consecutive conference titles and the 31-game regular season conference winning streak didn't.

Despite surrendering the advantage, Penn State still had a chance to pull out the win. That was until Illinois forward Ella Masar tallied the go-ahead goal with less than seven minutes remaining.

As the clock at Illinois Track and Field Stadium wound down, the Lions had gone from chokehold to choke.

Penn State head coach Paula Wilkins was disappointed in her team's lackluster response in the second half and preached responsibility.

Senior midfielder and team captain Ali Krieger talked about a change in mentality, while Aden-Buie called for "more desire, more heart."

Although Sunday's loss may change the Big Ten standings, it doesn't change how good Penn State is.

Coming into this season, uncertainty outweighed confidence as the team looked to fill several voids. Numerous injuries, resulting in several lineup changes, didn't help matters either.

But the Lions persisted.

They battled through the injuries and a tough non-conference schedule. They dealt with the losses to Texas and West Virginia, something they were not accustom to in 2005.

And they started to get better as areas that were thought to be weaknesses became strengths and several young faces stepped into starring roles.

Sure, the loss to Illinois may drop Penn State out of first place, but it won't drop them out of contention. Six conference games remain -- including four at Jeffrey Field -- and they have a good shot at winning all of them.

With a potent offense, a steadfast defense, a head coach that has an 85 percent career-winning percentage, and a captain that won't let her team rest on its laurels, Penn State is still the team to beat in the Big Ten.

And one loss doesn't change that.