An Eastern defender miscleared a service into her own net with 8:53 remaining in overtime, and the Misericordia University women's soccer team defeated Eastern 1-0 to win their first Freedom Conference Championship at Mangelsdorf Field on Sunday afternoon.
 
MU's Erin McGreal went up for a header at the goal line off a Nikki Hensel service, but the Eagles defender got a bad touch on the ball in an attempt to prevent the goal.
 
The Cougars controlled possession for much of the first half, holding a 14-6 edge in total shots and a 10-2 edge in shots on goal. However, Eagles' goalkeeper Alysia Goodman, a recent All-Freedom First Team selection, came up big defensively, stopping all 10 shots and making a number of tough saves to keep Eastern in the game.
 
The Eagles continued to battle tough in the second half, limiting the Cougars to just two shots on goal in the period and sending the game into extra time.
 
MU came out attacking early in the overtime period, earning a corner kick just 55 seconds in when a Laura Roney shot was deflected past the goal line. The Cougars caught the Eagles' defense off guard on a quick restart when Megan Lannigan tapped the corner into Hensel, who served the ball the ball into the box for the game-winning play.
 
Sophomore midfielder Erin Roberts was named MVP of the championship game.
 
With the victory, the Cougars have secured a bid in the 2012 NCAA Division III Tournament. MU will find out information about their first round game when matchups are released tomorrow.