The 2000 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship game was coming down to the wire. TCNJ and Tufts were locked in a 1-1 battle for the national crown on a cold November day in Medford, Massachusetts.

It appeared as if the game was heading into overtime. The 10-second countdown began, but the Lions had one final opportunity. Lisa Pelligrino sent in a shot that was stopped by Tufts goalkeeper Randee McArdle, but she could not control it. Cara Gabage punched in the rebound header with just three seconds remaining to lift the Lions to the NCAA Championship.

"Scoring that goal was one of the proudest moments in my life," Gabage said. "Not only because it was a moment for me, but it was also a moment for our team, our coaches and our families."

The 2000 season was one to remember for the Lions. TCNJ went 23-1 and finished the season on a 15-game winning streak on the way to the NCAA title. The 23 wins remain the highest single-season mark in the prestigious history of the Lions. The lone defeat of the 2000 season came in a tight 1-0 battle against Stockton. After that, the Lions did not look back and cruised all the way to the top. TCNJ locked up its sixth NJAC Championship in seven years by way of a 1-0 win over William Paterson.

"That team was so talented with great chemistry and was extremely resilient," said head coach Joe Russo. "They were so determined, with the best leadership that I have ever seen!"

Russo quickly elevated the program to a championship-caliber team. The 2000 NCAA Championship marked the third for the Lions in eight seasons. Trenton State went back-to-back in 1993 and 1994, only four years after becoming an intercollegiate program.

"There is no question that was a special group of young women, and we felt that it was our year from the beginning of the 2000 season," said goalkeeper Victoria Nusse. "We were determined to achieve greatness together, and we still feel so connected because of that experience. From a personal standpoint, I look back at that season and have so much gratitude for having the opportunity to be part of it."

The year before in 1999, the Lions were in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. TCNJ lost a close, 1-0, decision to UC San Diego, who went on to win the title.

Prior to that in 1998, TCNJ lost a 1-0 heartbreaker in quadruple-overtime in the NCAA Championship game. As the century turned, the Lions were determined to finish the battle and raise the trophy at the end of the season.

"The seniors of the 2000 national championship team got to the NCAA Final Four throughout their college careers, but never won," said Joanne Deni. "We were so close we could taste it. But every year it just didn't happen. We knew what defeat at this stage in the game felt like, and we hated it. We knew the second we lost in 1999, that we would not let that happen again, especially in our senior season."

It was no easy journey to win the national title; the Lions had to scratch and claw in each tournament game. In the first round, the Lions defeated Muhlenberg by a 3-0 final score.

After the opening-round victory, TCNJ endured three consecutive overtime battles to reach the championship game. In the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship game, the Lions defeated Messiah in triple overtime by a 1-0 final. Gabage scored the game-winner, which proved to be a sign of things to come. The victory also marked the 200^th for Russo and the program.

The string of intense, competitive, overtime games continued into the NCAA Quarterfinals. Another clutch goal from Gabage propelled the Lions into the Final Four and secured a 1-0 win over Ohio Wesleyan. She credited her clutch, late-game scoring to the rigorous fitness training that the coaching staff instilled on its players.

"I give all of this credit to my coaches, Coach Russo and Coach Turner," Gabage said. "They trained us to be the fittest team on the field. All season long, we were pushed to run, sprint and never give up. As exhausted as we were after each practice session, we would hear 'get on the line!' Coach motivated us the whole way, letting us know that we would thank him during those overtimes. A 90-minute game is long, but 120 minutes was what we trained for."

The Final Four appearance marked the third in a row and sixth in program history. The lessons learned from years past stayed with the Lions in 2000, and fueled them to finish the job.

The NCAA Semifinal game against Trinity was played like a lot of the Lions' games down the stretch: a grueling, low-scoring, grind-it-out battle. Nusse and the TCNJ defense shut down the competition frequently in the 2000 season. The Lions remarkably allowed only three goals all year for a 0.12 goals against average, which set an NCAA Division III record. That record stood for one year, until Nusse and the Lions' defense allowed only one goal for a 0.05 goals against average in 2001. Those records still stand as one-two in Division III today.

Karen Geiger netted the game-winning goal in overtime to defeat Trinity and lift TCNJ to the national championship game. The appearance marked the fifth championship game in eight years for the Lions. TCNJ was looking to secure its third championship.

Tufts entered the NCAA Championship game on its home field sporting an 18-3-1 record. The Jumbos were seeking their first national title.

The Lions jumped out to a lead just nine minutes in, when Denise Buckley scored off a Gia Rosamilia assist. Buckley scored 11 goals and added 11 assists for a team-high 33 points on the year, while Rosamilia ranked third on the squad with 27 points by way of 11 goals and five assists.

TCNJ controlled the remainder of the first half, outshooting the Jumbos 11-3 and posting a 5-0 lead in corners.

The intense championship game continued in the second half, and Tufts tied the game in the 76^th minute. Despite allowing a goal for the first time in 12 games, TCNJ kept its composure and remained focused for the final stretch of the game.

"Rather than allowing that goal to give Tufts momentum, we all came together in a huddle after they scored and committed to leaving it all on the field," Nusse said. "We committed to having no regrets. I remember my self-talk at that moment was, no more, no more goals allowed. I think that competitive attitude was a common thread on our team and that, combined with all the talent we had, was how we were able to prevail."

It looked like the Lions were going into a fourth-straight overtime game, yet TCNJ had one more opportunity to win it in regulation. Buckley sent in a cross that was shot by Pelligrino and stopped by the Tufts goalkeeper. Gabage pounced on the rebound and punched in a header with three seconds left to lift the Lions to the national title.

"My father has been with me since I started playing at four years old and never missed a game," said Gabage. "Seeing his face when I scored that goal will never leave my memory. Everyone on that field left their heart and soul out there. That goal would never have been scored if it wasn't for the 10 other women on that field behind me and the crew waiting on the bench. To see the smiles, hear the cheers, feel the hugs, and finally hold that trophy, we knew all of that hard work finally paid off. There is no better feeling to know how many people were proud of us that day, because they were with us from the beginning watching and being part of our sacrifice." 

The goal sent the Lions into a frenzied celebration, and the home Tufts crowd into silence.

"The ending to that game is one that I will never forget," Russo said. "The huge Tufts crowd was so loud during the last five minutes of the game, urging their team on with the scored tied 1-1. The fans went from screaming their lungs out to dead silence when we scored, and the whole stadium went eerily quiet. It was a remarkable ending for a special group of players which was well-deserved!"

The sensational run ended with the objective the Lions had since November of '99 achieved: to hoist the NCAA Championship trophy high at the end of the season.

It was a journey of redemption, domination, excellence, and one that those Lions will never forget.

"I am so proud to have been a part of this wonderful team of champions," Deni said. "As an adult, it still makes me so happy and excited to tell my team's story of being a national champion."

The tradition of excellence that the TCNJ women's soccer program has established has resulted in many memorable games, moments, and seasons. The 2000 season, 20 years later, still stands out as one of the best in program and NCAA Division III history.