Only one team finishes a season with a win, a national champion.

For the first time in its history the UMass Lowell field hockey team is that team.

The River Hawks won the Division II National Championship with a double overtime, 2-1 victory, over three-time defending champion Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

The NCAA National Championship is the sixth in the university's history, but the first ever for a women's athletic program and the first women's title in the University system in 19 years.

"This is unbelievable," head coach Shannon Hlebichuk said.  "At the beginning of August, I didn't think in my wildest dreams we'd be here. But after seeing the leadership the seniors provided we knew it was a possibility."

Possibility became a reality 92 minutes and one second after the final battle began.  At that moment senior Joanna DaLuze's shot rifled from the circle eluded the Bloomsburg goalkeeper and settled into the right side of the net and the celebration began.

"I wasn't concentrating on scoring," DaLuze said.  "I was looking at getting a corner, or shooting for the pads and getting a deflection."

The DaLuze goal was unassisted. The Senior midfielder stole the ball from a Bloomsburg player 30 yards from the goal, maneuvered past two opponents to the circle before releasing the game-ending shot.

The River Hawk heroes were many.

Junior Goalie Nicole Staiti made 14 saves in the game including a diving stop on a breakaway in the second overtime period.

Junior Forward Sara Hohenberger gave UMass Lowell a lead eight minutes into the contest with her team-leading 25th goal of the season after receiving a pass from Courtney Hill.  Hohenberger set the school record for goals and points (63) in a single season.

The National Championship put an exclamation point on a spectacular season.  The River Hawks finished the year 20-3.  The 2005 team set a school record by winning 16 consecutive games at one point, and finished the year winning 18 of their last 19.

En route to the title, UML knocked off semifinal opponent Stonehill College, 2-1, to avenge a controversial loss to the Skyhawks in the Northeast-10 Tournament Championship game and end their opponents 15-game winning streak.

Five members of the field hockey team were named to the Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II All American team.  DaLuze, Hill, Hohenberger and Josselyn Mroz were named to the first.  Kim Villare earned a spot on the second team.

his was the third consecutive trip to the NCAA National Tournament for the UMass Lowell field hockey team, and the second time the team reached the championship game, but the first time a season ended with a win.

Third time is a charm.