CHARLOTTE – One game after the freshmen stole the spotlight for the Queens University of Charlotte women's soccer team (1-1), senior captain Charlotte Ring unleashed her dominant presence on the pitch and led the Royals to their first win of the season.
 
Ring, a First-Team Preseason All-Conference selection, scored two goals against UNC-Pembroke, including the game-winner off a converted penalty kick in the 66th minute. The Royals fended off the Braves during the final minutes and picked up the victory by a score of 3-2. 
 
Ring put the Royals on the board first in the 17th minute when she headed home a free kick from freshman Dani Diaz. Diaz, who scored her first-career goal in the opener against Lynn University, placed a perfect ball from outside the box directly on the head of Ring to give Queens the early 1-0 advantage. 
 
Six minutes later, Ring found herself on the opposite end as her cross found the leaping Lulu Phan who headed it home underneath the crossbar for the second goal of the game and her first of the season. 
 
However, the script quickly flipped in the early portion of the second half as the Braves cut the lead to one 50 seconds in. UNCP's Kate Ryan then took matters into her own hands and followed it up in the 56th minute with a goal of her own, knocking home the game-tying goal off a free kick from just outside the top of the 18. 
 
But Queens refused to settle for a tie, and when an attacker charged down the left side of the field and got taken down inside of the box, it prompted a penalty kick and the opportunity to regain the lead. The captain, Ring, stepped up in the game's most crucial moment and booted it home for the 3-2 lead and eventual winning goal. 
 
The Royals doubled the Braves in shots, 14-7. Nine of those 14 went on goal for Queens while four went on goal for UNCP. Senior keeper Rachel Quest picked up her first win of the season in goal with two big saves. 
 
Looking ahead, the Royals will hit the road for the first time this season as they travel to Tampa to take on the University of Tampa. That game is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 7 at 7:00 p.m.