Quentin M. Reed – Sports Information Graduate Assistant
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After two overtime periods to determine a winner, the Pfeiffer Falcons (4-7-2) women's soccer team and the Queens (NC) Royals (6-5-2) played to a 1-1 tie at the Queens Sports Complex in Charlotte on Wednesday evening.
Senior Gracie Herbert got her first start in goal in her career and was up to the task. Her three first half saves kept the scored locked at zero, but the Royals jumped out to a ten to four shot advantage.
As the play resumed in the second half so did the style play for both teams. The Royals came out fast taking the first three shot attempts of the second stanza.
Off a corner kick by Ashely Osiecki, Logan Vitale controlled the ball and took a shot attempt but the Pfeiffer defense blocked it out of play.
In the 59th minute Royal players Charlotte Ring and Alana Jefferson's shots were stopped cold by Herbert in goal.
One minute later, Senior Aaliyah Jackson took a shot but it was blocked by Queens defenders but Marcy Santana was there to clean up the loose ball to net her first goal of the season for a 1-0 Pfeiffer advantage.
In the 77th minute, the Royal's Kathy Fisher unloaded a rocket of a shot from the far corner that got by Herbert to tie the score at one.
In the last twelve minutes in regulation, the play remained tight as Pfeiffer only took one more shot than Queens by a 2-1 margin.
Overtime was much more of the same as Queens outshot the Falcons by a 3-1 margin. Both Herbert and her counterpart had one save each for both overtimes.
On the evening Herbert had ten saves but gave up one goal.
Jackson lead the Falcons on the evening with six shots and four shots on goal while five Pfeiffer players saw action in the full 110 minutes: Herbert, Jackson, Madeline Gadd, Tori Jackson and Stephanie Hardig.
The Falcons return to play on Saturday October 17th as they travel to Erskine for a Conference Carolinas match at 2 p.m.
