CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Not to be outdone by the women's victory earlier in the evening, the men's soccer team at Queens University of Charlotte did the same, winning 3-0 against the Mount Olive Trojans. A former conference rival of the Royals, Mount Olive falls to 0-3 on the season as the home team improved their record to 2-1.
 
For the beginning 20 minutes of the first half, Queens dominated possession, able to work through the opponent's defense on multiple occasions, doing everything but finding the net.
 
But it didn't take long for the Royals to capitalize on the holes in the Mount Olive defense. With great link-up play involving Yannick Fischbach and Thiago Andrade, Andrade was able to make a screaming run down the left side of the 18 yard box, slotting a low and hard cross to senior Felipe Netto, who scored his third goal in three games. It was a well-worked and well deserved start for Queens, as they had dominated possession up to that point.
 
After the opening goal, Mount Olive began to come to life, using their physical style of play to outwork Queens, a bit of a role reversal from the beginning of the game. Mount Olive was only able to muster two shots in the first period though, one off of a free kick from 35 yards out.
 
Queens, slow to come to grips with the physical play, finally was able to use Mount Olive's aggressiveness to their advantage, peppering the goal for several shots right before the half time whistle sounded.
 
Although Mount Olive could be encouraged by their performance towards the end of the half, the second period started exactly like the first, with Queens pressuring the ball each time they lost it. Midway through the half, it looked as though that pressure would finally pay off, as a Queens player was fouled on the right side of the box. Pllay continued, and the ball was played nicely into Fischbach, who attempted a shot on goal only to have it blocked by what appeared to be a hand from a Mount Olive defender. No penalty was called, and the game went on.
 
Queens would be rewarded several minutes later, when in the 77th minute, Fischbach, who was a nuisance all game long for the Trojans, crossed a low drive into the near post where Erick Suarez, who had been seeking his first goal of the season, met it cleanly with his head and placed it into the corner. The goalie had no chance, and Queens could finally relax, knowing a 2-0 score line would likely be good enough for the points.
 
But the Royals had other plans, and in the 88th minute, Suarez again was fed by Fischbach, and after some neat footwork in the six-yard box, Suarez blasted home into the far netting, sending the Dickson Field crowd into a roar.
 
Mount Olive, a very physical team with a lot of talent, was unable to scrap a late goal and the Royals prevailed 3-0 in an old Conference Carolinas matchup.
 
The men's team comes back to Dickson Field on Saturday night to take on Tusculum College, who will travel from Tennessee to take on the Royals in the first ever home South Atlantic Conference game at the Queens Sports Complex. Kick-off is at 7:30 p.m.