Box Score CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Queens University of Charlotte women's soccer team decided to win the hard way tonight at Dickson Field, beating former conference foe Converse College 3-2 in overtime. The Royals improve to 8-3-2 overall and remain 3-2-2 in the conference. Converse falls to 8-6 on the season.
 
Other than the first 10 minutes of the game, Queens was unable to put consistent pressure on the Valkyries. Five of their eight first half shots came within that first 10 minutes, but nothing came to fruition as Converse played enough defense to keep the home team out.
 
As the game wore on, Converse became more and more comfortable, able to possess the ball and counter attack effectively. However, the visitors were unable to finish, and both teams went into the half with a doughnut on the scoreboard.
 
It only took five minutes after the start of the second half for Converse to go up 1-0. A defensive mistake led to possession in the Queens final third for the visitors. Able to connect a pass in the 18 yard box, Converse took a shot that was deflected by keeper Jessyca Young. Unfortunately, the deflection went to the wrong color jersey, and sophomore Darby Boyd was able to finish coolly into the back of the net.
 
Right after the goal, Queens began to apply pressure, but was unable to finish anything, only creating one opportunity before Converse used that pressure against Queens. Using the speed of freshman Alex Marquez down the right side of the field, Converse forward Mariah Elliott, who had been denied only a few minutes before on a breakaway, finished easily off of a cross from Marquez, who had managed to make the Queens defense look discomposed.
 
Up 2-0, Converse continued to play with fervor, refusing to let up in their search for a 3-0 lead away from home. It took until the 75th minute for Queens to start playing with the effort demanded by Head Coach Katie Talbert. But when that effort came, the entire game was completely turned on its head.
 
With nine minutes to play, Logan Vitale produced a great shot on the edge of the box, only to be rejected by keeper Gabriella Chamberland. Seconds later, Brooke Foil would attempt a similar shot from the same location only to be stopped yet again by a diving Chamberland.
 
With the intensity of the game at or near its peak, Queens continued pressing and pressing the visitors, who had subbed out all attacking options in favor of defenders.
 
In the 87th minute, Queens' constant badgering of the goal finally paid off as Logan Vitale, who had been one of the stars of the second half, put a beautiful shot in the corner of the goal 17 yards out. She was assisted by Sydney Michelin, who had teamed up with Vitale to change the complexion of the game in the midfield. Momentum was, and had been, squarely with the home team, but the goal gave new life to the Royals, who were looking to at least force overtime.
 
Off of a corner kick, which had been masterfully taken all night from Ashley Osiecki, a scrum had formed in front of the goal. After what seemed like a lifetime, the ball was finally poached into the back of the net by freshman Brenna Kate Grass.
 
Even with 1:30 remaining in the game, fans got the sense that Queens still had an opportunity to win in regulation. One more opportunity formed in the way of a corner kick, but when the ball fell to Grass right in front of the keeper, she was unable to get enough on it, shooting it right to Chamberland.
 
To even force overtime with two goals in less than four minutes was a testament to how Talbert's team had mentally turned a corner.
 
With the momentum on the home team's side, it seemed that everyone knew what was coming in overtime, and it only took seven minutes for Queens to score and Dickson Field to go crazy.
 
Off of a deflected shot in front of the goal, the ball bounced to a perfectly positioned Grass who was barely able to put the ball in the back of the net before she was tackled by her 35 teammates. It was a fitting end, a deserved win from the Royals as they took a break from conference play to take on Converse.
 
Queens will return to Dickson Field this Saturday at 2 p.m. to take on Mars Hill, as they get back into South Atlantic Conference action.