Melissa Henderson scored the golden goal with 3:02 remaining in overtime as #1 Notre Dame defeated UConn to win the Big East Championship Sunday at a wet and cold Alumni Field.
The Irish finish the regular season with a 21-0 record and will almost certainly be the top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
ND got the win despite not having two of the nation's very best players, Kerri Hanks and Brittany Bock, who both sat out to recover from nagging injuries.
Henderson, a freshman, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Offensive Player.
"It is crazy," Henderson said. "I'm estatic right now. It's pretty cool to be able to go undefeated into the NCAAs and hopefully we can keep it up and keep our eye down the road."
Down the road would be a National Championship, something the Irish last won in 2004.
Head coach Randy Waldrum says this year's team could be even better than the '04 squad.
"I think until we win the national championship with this team, the '04 team still has to rank up there as one of the best that we've had," Waldrum said.
"But this team reminds me so much of that team. I think they are more talented than that team and I think we are deeper. But at the end of the day, we still need to put that final piece together and win it."
"I think that if we do that, this team could certainly rank as one of the best we've ever had here at Notre Dame."
Senior defender Carrie Dew was named the tournament's Most Outstanding defensive player.
The Irish will find out their seed for the NCAA Tournament Monday night.
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