Box Score CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Queens University of Charlotte hosted Colorado Mesa University this afternoon at the Queens Sports Complex, falling 8-7 to the Mavericks at Dickson Field. The Royals drop to 2-3 on the season, while the Mavericks improve to 2-2 on the year.
 
After leading the entire first quarter, the Royals found themselves tied up with the Mavericks at the start of the second. Connor Morgan would put Queens back ahead with a goal at 10:29, but Colorado Mesa's Griffin Perkiel found the back of the net with 16 seconds left in the half to equalize the game at 4-4 at the break.
 
Jimmy Baker (Prince Fredrick, Md., The Calverton School) would give the Royals a 5-4 lead with the first goal of the third quarter at 6:53. However, Austin Pridham of the Mavericks would net two in the final six minutes of the period to give the visitors a 6-5 lead heading into the fourth.
 
The Mavericks went ahead 7-5 before the Royals were able to tie the game up a 7-7 following back-to-back unassisted goals from Garrett Chan (Port Coquitlam, B.C., Terry Fox Secondary School) and Casey Hock (Danville, Calif., Monte Vista)  With 4:19 left to play, both teams were in the hunt for the game-winner. Colorado Mesa would be the first to strike, scoring a goal with just 26 seconds of game time on the clock.
 
Queens would have a chance to take the game into overtime with the final possession, but Brad Brandenburg came up with two huge saves in the closing seconds to secure the win for the Mavericks.
 
The Royals outshot the Mavericks 44-31 and collected 31 ground balls to Colorado Mesa's 24. Both teams totaled 23 turnovers each.
 
Justin Kestler (Pasadena, Md., Chesapeake) led the Royals with two goals this afternoon, while Kenneth Stryker (Millersville, Md., Severna Park) won 12-of-15 face-offs. Dillon Draper (Huntingtown, Md., The Calverton School) and Patrick Murphy (Easton, Pa., Easton Area) led on the defensive end, collecting three caused turnovers apiece. Drapper also totaled four ground balls. Eric Dolan (Hopkinton, Mass., St. Mark's School) and Nick Simonetti (Dublin, Ohio, Dublin Jerome) served time in the net to get a combined total of seven saves.
 
Pridham finished the game with a hat trick for the Mavericks after netting the game-winner, while James Sharp and Josh Russell each notched two points. Brandenburg completed the day with 13 saves.
 
Queens is back at home on Wednesday when they host Catawba College at 7 p.m.