CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Queens University of Charlotte won in only a way they can, 1-0 in double overtime against the Coker Cobras tonight in their fourth South Atlantic Conference game this year. Queens moves to 7-1 on the season, riding a seven game win streak. They are 4-0 in the conference. Coker falls to 3-2-2 overall and 2-1-1 in conference.
 
The first half was an interesting one as Coker was content to sit back and let Queens enjoy the bulk of the possession. Still, Coker had the better of the chances in the final third.
 
Though the first two shots were credited to the Royals, it was Coker forward Daniel Jackson who created the first goal scoring opportunity of the match. In the 10th minute, Jackson received a pass in the box after his teammate had weaved through both center backs for the Royals. Jackson chose to receive that pass to the wide portion of the box and take a shot 10 yards out, only to miss just wide as he shot across Queens keeper Montrell Morgan's goal.
 
Queens rebounded from that near miss to control the ball for the next 15 minutes. Coker, with their stingy defense, was eventually able to counter Queens off of a miscue in the Royals midfield. The resulting possession for the Cobras led to a foul three yards outside the 18 yard box by senior Yannick Fischbach. Although it was a smart foul, it still presented Coker with a great opportunity.
 
The free kick, quickly passed on to Jordan Snell and promptly shot, was on a crash course for the left side of the goal, but a sprawling Montrell Morgan was somehow able to get a hand on it and punch it away. Morgan's save provided the Royals with defensive momentum and proved to be a sign that Morgan and his defenive backline would earn their fourth clean sheet of the season.
 
The rest of the period carried on with Queens enjoying the weight of possession, but the Royals were unable to put any meaningful shots on frame.
 
The second half began with a flurry of chances for the Royals. Halftime adjustments made by the coaching staff had clearly taken hold in the player's minds as they were more creative and assertive in their attempts on goal.
 
After shots from Fischbach in the 59th and Jonathan Onyeaka in the 63rd, the possibility of a regulation winner began to look grim for the Royals based on how stout Coker was at the back.
 
Even though Queens was unable to put anything across the line, they were resilient themselves whenever Coker attempted their counter attacks. The backline consisting of Ryan Kawczynski, Gregorio Pestana, Onyeaka and Austin Huddy had two trouble spots in the first half, but were inpenetrable throughout the second.

Coker remained steadfast in their gameplan, looking for a point away from home.

However, to earn that point they would have to withstand a bevy of chances in the overtime periods. The best of those chances in the first overtime period came off of the head of Onyeaka in what looked to be an exact replica of the goal he scored against USC-Aiken, but the ball sailed just over the crossbar.
 
The fans at Dickson Field, hooting and hollering all night, had to be wondering if a goal was ever going to materialize. They knew it was unlikely that Coker would earn a game winner this late, but after a plethora of chances throughout the game and first overtime period, it became increasingly worrisome that Queens might not prevail with all three points.
 
However, Onyeaka decided that wouldn't be the case. Two and a half minutes into the second overtime period, Onyeaka took a nifty pass from Erick Suarez eight yards out and buried it in the left hand corner of the net through two Cobra defenders. After nonstop pressure ever since the second half, it had finally paid off for Queens and Coach Carias. "Big John," as his teammates call him, had scored his second overtime winner of his young career. Knowing the golden goal rule on this go round, he celebrated in style with the fans as his teammates sprinted after him.
 
The Royals will now go on a three game road trip after starting the season with a slew of home games. The team gets a week off before traveling to Newberry next Saturday. Game time is at 4 p.m.