Old Dominion Stun UConn 2-1 to Win the Big East Title
Three scoreless quarters, then everything happened at once. Old Dominion are Big East champions, and UConn’s 12-game winning streak is over.
The final in Philadelphia stayed 0-0 through three quarters. Then, early in the fourth, Madison Zalewski scored from a penalty corner at 12:12, her stick deflecting a shot from Serena Langendoen past the UConn keeper. ODU had the lead. Then came the moment that decided it: UConn pulled their goalkeeper, a miscommunication at the back let Cosima Perleth in, and she scored into the empty net.
UConn got one back. Emma Larit scored with 16 seconds left. Sixteen seconds. Not enough. Old Dominion held on for 2-1, and the celebrations started.
This is ODU’s first Big East title since 2023, their second Big East crown overall, and their 17th conference championship in programme history. It also completes a remarkable weekend for the Monarchs. They’d already knocked out Liberty 1-0 in the semifinal, the team that beat UConn in last year’s final. Now they’ve beaten the team that went 15-1 and hadn’t lost in 12 games.
UConn actually outshot ODU 9-8. The corners went 5-4 to the Monarchs. It was that tight. Goalkeeper Suus Broers made two saves and conceded once to collect her second Big East title as a Monarch.
The bigger picture is what this does to the NCAA bracket. UConn were No. 4 in the RPI going in, and they’ll get in regardless. ODU were down at No. 19. They had to win this to make the field, and they did. That means the Big East sends two teams, and somewhere a bubble team just lost its spot. Old Dominion have now beaten three nationally ranked teams this season, and they picked the biggest one for the biggest day.
UConn’s run deserves a word too. Fifteen wins, one loss before Sunday, and they needed a 53rd-minute Lucy Zich goal just to get past Villanova 1-0 in the semifinal. They were favourites for a reason. But ODU had already ruined one favourite’s weekend in the semis, and they did it again in the final.
For our money, that’s the best conference final of the weekend. Scoreless for 45 minutes, then three goals, an empty-netter, and a goal with 16 seconds left. Old Dominion earned every bit of this one.
