In a full-circle moment, the Boston University women’s soccer team defeated the top-seeded Bucknell University in a thrilling penalty shootout on Sunday, showing 8-7 after a 1-1 draw sent both teams to double overtime.

The Terriers stopped the Bisons from clinching a four-time title streak and secured a bid in the NCAA tournament.

“Last year we went to penalties for the quarterfinals, which was in itself amazing,” said BU senior goalkeeper Celia Braun. “But doing it in this situation at Bucknell, with a team that has been our Achilles heel for a few years now, and doing it in that environment, just made it a thousand times better.”

The Terriers made their presence known on Emmitt Field from the first blow of the whistle as the team controlled possession throughout most of the first half, taking two significant shots on goal within the first ten minutes of play.

But stretching into the latter half, Bucknell made it a point to adjust, creating more opportunities for itself against the Terriers’ much smaller three-person backline.

Bucknell tried their luck on 10 different occasions leading up to the scoreless first half. One shot included a breakaway that forced BU freshman goalkeeper Bridget Carr to dive at the legs of Bucknell sophomore midfielder Riley Hayes. It served as a shaky moment for the Terriers, as Carr received a yellow card from the referees.

“You’re always going to have ups and downs during games, and it’s how you recover from them,” assistant head coach Megan Burke said. “We have great leadership on the field that carried us into the next play and carried us into the second half and throughout the entire game and into overtime as well.”

The Terriers stepped onto the field in the second half with the same intensity they had at the start of game, almost completely unfazed by the shouts from fans voicing Carr should have received a red card.

Those same shouts became an uproar when Bucknell junior midfielder Sydney Hess scored her third goal of the season 67 minutes in, giving the team a 1-0 lead.

Still, unrelenting in their pursuit, the Terriers evened the playing field. Nearly 86 minutes in, junior defender Morgan Weaver sent a shot soaring over Bucknell’s defense from well outside the box, making it the first goal of her career.

“I don’t know how much time was left in the game at that point,” Weaver said. “But scoring an equalizer really kept us in the game and gave us the opportunity to go on and win it.”

The game stood at 1-1 throughout the remainder of the second half, as well as through a double overtime period that sent both teams into a penalty shootout.

Braun, who stepped in for Carr, withstood the 10-round shootout. She made two crucial saves, including a stop that ultimately won the women’s soccer program its 14th Patriot League championship title and ended a six-year title drought.

“We knew we had the skill set, and that has been consistent,” Braun said. “I think the belief that we brought today was just incredible, and the energy from the bench, from the people on the field, from the fans that made the long trek over here, I think it all culminated to the perfect ending to the Patriot League.”

The Terriers look to continue their now eight-game unbeaten streak (4-0-4), making their 15th appearance in the Big Dance.

“We’re bringing some hardware back to Boston, where it belongs, and we’re excited about it, and I’m so proud of the team and the girls deserve this more than anything,” Burke said. “So obviously, now there’s a standard, but we’re ready to come out next year and win another title.”

The team will face off against the University of Texas at Austin in Mike A. Myers Stadium on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA tournament.