MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The Royals are number one in Conference Carolinas after defeating Mount Olive College 3-2 this evening. Kristen Wright scored the game winner with less than two minutes left in the game at Amon Field giving Queens University of Charlotte a 4-0 conference record.
The last time these two teams met up at Amon Field it was the last regular season game of the year for the Royals. Queens walked away victorious clinching regular season champion honors. The Royals entered tonight's game ready to get a repeat win.
Kelsey Howard (Marietta, Ga., Dominion Christian) put Queens up 1-0 in the 27th minute. Lauren Vawter (Mooresville, N.C., Lake Norman ) took a shot that was deflected and then rebounded by Howard. Howard cleaned up the play putting the ball in the net. The Royals held their 1-0 lead until halftime.
In the second half, Mount Olive's Lindsey Stanley tied the game up at 1-1 almost three minutes in with a breakaway goal.
Queens stayed in attack mode continuing to fire shots. With the match tied 1-1 in the 60th minute, Trojans goalkeeper Meagan Robeson timed her leap perfectly to punch a 20-yard shot attempt by Howard just over the crossbar. Minutes later, Wright had a one-on-one from just above the six-yard box, but Robeson deflected the shot wide.
In the 73rd minute contact was made between Robeson and a Queens' player who also slid on the grass. Robeson was given a straight red card on the play forcing her to leave the game. Wright converted the penalty kick giving Queens a 2-1 lead.
After the penalty kick put Queens (4-4-0, 4-0-0) back on top, Mount Olive rallied to tie the match again. Becky Sanzsole eluded two defenders at the top right of the box and centered the ball to Stanley. Stanley one-touched to Sydney Frielinghausen, who tied the match 2-2 at 81:26.
But Wright would capture a deflection to score the game-winner for Queens at 88:09. Mt. Olive goalkeeper Pattie Adkins deflected Sarah Johnson's (West Columbia, S.C., Brookland-Cayce) 10-yard attempt, but the ball went to Wright, who booted the ball scoring from 15 yards out.
Queens outshot Mount Olive 19-8. Megan Hirschy (Fort Wayne, Ind., Shattuck-St.Mary's School) had one save for the Royals. Robeson finished with five saves for the Trojans, while Adkins recorded one save.
Queens will return to the field Tuesday at 5 p.m. as they play host to Belmont Abbey College in a Conference Carolinas contest.
