GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Queens University of Charlotte bounced back after allowing two goals in less than a minute by scoring three unanswered goals to come away with a 4-2 victory over Tusculum University Wednesday night at Pioneer Field in South Atlantic Conference men's soccer action.
Manoel Dos Passos' second goal of the match came with 11:24 left and gave the Royals (7-6-2, 6-3-2 SAC) a 3-2 lead. Three minutes later, Andre Castro extended the Queens lead to 4-2 as the teams combined for five goals in the second half. The Pioneers (1-11-2, 0-9-2 SAC), playing on Senior Night and in their season finale, had trailed 1-0 before goals by Marcos Franco Valladares in the 52nd minute and Alejandro De Mingo in the 53rd minute gave Tusculum a 2-1 advantage.
The Pioneer lead would be short-lived, as a free kick by the Royals went off the head of a Tusculum defender 2 1/2 minutes after De Mingo's goal, resulting in a 2-2 deadlock. Dos Passos, whose goal in the third minute was his first of the season, would net the game-winner in the 79th minute as Queens finished with an 11-8 advantage in shots over Tusculum.
The first shot of the match gave the Royals a 1-0 lead, as a free kick from 45 yards out by Matheus Pereira went off the head of Dos Passos and past Tusculum keeper Nicolas Leite to the far post at 2:59.
Tusculum had its first shot attempt in the 15th minute, but Carson Anderson's shot from the right side was wide of the near post. Pedro Concheso headed a cross wide of the far post in the 24th minute, while Leite made a save on a header by Samuel Indinge off a free kick in the 28th minute.
Both teams had a shot on goal in the final five minutes of the half, as Leite was equal on a low blast by Felipe Mendonca from 15 yards out in the 43rd minute and Queens keeper Nicolai Andersen stopped a free kick from De Mingo in the 44th minute. Leite made a stop with his left hand on a shot by Mendonca in the first minute of the second half, and followed up by collecting an attempt by Pereira from 25 yards in the 50th minute.
Tusculum knotted the match at 1-1 at 51:48 as a corner kick from Concheso was headed home by Franco for his first goal of the season. A Queens foul soon after the restart set up the Pioneers from 25 yards out, and De Mingo drilled a shot past Andersen for a 2-1 Tusculum lead at 52:46.
Queens earned a free kick of its own in the 56th minute, and the attempt by Pereira from the left side went off the head of a Tusculum defender and shot past Leite to tie the match at 2-2 at 55:29.
Leite stopped a header by Mendonca in the 67th minute, while chances by Pereira in the 70th minute and Elvia Menayese in the 71st minute were unsuccessful. Tusculum had what would be its final shot on goal in the 72nd minute as a shot from the right wing by Tyrell Squire was corraled by Andersen.
Queens took the lead at 3-2 at 78:36 as a short through pass by Mendonca went to Dos Passos, who continued on while the Tusculum defense looked for an offsides flag and put a shot to the far post on Leite for his second of the match. Castro made it 4-2 Queens at 81:43 as a short pass from Maximilian Lebedev was converted at the top of the box for Castro's third goal of the year.
Leite finished with four saves in goal for the Pioneers, while Andersen had two saves for the Royals. Queens had a 5-2 edge in corner kicks over Tusculum, while the Pioneers were called for 18 fouls to 13 for the Royals.
With the win, Queens earned the fifth seed in the SAC Championship tournament and will play at Anderson in the quarterfinal round on Saturday at 7 p.m.
