Hartsville, S.C. – With three unanswered goals in the second half, the Royals of Queens University of Charlotte defeated the Coker Cobras in women’s collegiate soccer on Saturday, 4-1. The win gives Queens (1-4, 1-0) their first victory of the season, while Coker (1-3, 0-1) drops their third of the season.

Coker’s Casey Smith (Somerset, KY) got the Lady Cobras on the board first with a goal just 19 minutes into the opening half, as she put home rebound off a save by Queens’ goalkeeper, Michelle Landry (Atlanta, GA). Just four minutes later the Royals evened things at one, with a header from Kelsey Howard (Marietta, GA) with an assist from Katherine Johnson (Chapel Hill, NC) off a free kick. That would be all the action the first half would see, as both teams remained at one into halftime.

Then came the second half and the Royals’ Kari Byzewski (Virginia Beach, VA). Byzewski wasted no time in the second half, finding the back of the net just seven minutes in, with some help from Kasey Carr (Annapolis, NC). Then eight minutes later, Byzewski struck again this time with help from Sami Striano (Clearwater, FL). Then it was Johnson’s goal with an assist from Rose Balderson (Trappe, MD) in the 71st minute that put the game out of Coker’s reach and gave the Royals a comfortable 4-1 win.

The Lady Cobras were not without their chances to score, peppering Queens with nine total shots, seven in the first half of play. Coker goalkeeper Chelsea Beetch (Palmer, AK) had nine saves in the game, while Landry for Queens had six.

The Lady Cobras return to the field on Tuesday, September 16, as they travel to face Belmont Abbey in a conference match at 2:00 p.m. The Royals will host St. Andrews on Monday at 7:30 p.m.