Immaculate Heart, which went to last season's title game, stood in the way. The No. 1 seed in the tournament, the Blue Eagles knocked the Gaels out of the tournament last year and beat them again in the Joe Poli tournament earlier this season.
The Gaels returned the favor with a 42-39 win Sunday at Ramapo College.
"It feels good to finally be here," said Gaels forward Afreyea Tolbert, who had 11 points. "We've wanted it for so many years. It feels good to finally beat them."
From beginning to end, the game played out like a heavyweight bout. Both teams dealt blows that would have knocked out another opponent. But they kept coming back for more.
After leading 12-8 in the first quarter, the Gaels watched as the Blue Eagles put together a 13-2 run to put them up by six with less than a minute remaining in the half. The Gaels were down by five at the half.
Dressel got her team in the locker room and reminded them of whom and for what they were playing.
"I had to challenge them," Dressel said. "We made no adjustments as far as the game. I challenged their character; I challenged their integrity; I challenged their heart; I challenged their loyalty to the school, to the coaches and to each other. And I said, ‘We have one of two options. You go out and you rise above it or you go out and we lose.'
The Gaels rose. At the 4:30 mark of the third quarter, a 10-4 run tied the game at 27. With 51 seconds left in the quarter, they had the lead at 33-31.
They would never trail again.
"Coach was questioning us on why we were here because the first half wasn't the best we could have played," said Gaels guard Shanice Hawkins, who scored 10 points. "We just came out and gave it our all and the outcome was we came out with a win - even though we missed clutch free throws."
The free throw line was a nemesis for the Gaels all game, especially late. And Dressel called a timeout to address it.
"I think they just enjoy watching me have a heart attack on the sideline," Dressel said.
The relationship between Dressel and her players enables her to speak to them in a straightforward manner because she knows that they'll respond. Now, that the challenge of toppling the No. 1 team in the tournament is complete, they move on to meet Ramapo in the final.
"This is history," Hawkins said. "Now, let's just see where we can take it from here."