DeLand, Fla. — Stetson University rallied from behind twice to defeat Queens University of Charlotte 3-2 on Thursday night at the Athletic Training Center. The Hatters capitalized with two second-half goals to earn the hard-fought win, outshooting the Royals 19-9 with 10 shots on target.
"Fantastic effort and energy — that's what we've asked for," Head Coach Jamie Souza said. "To go behind twice and fight back, showing courage, character, and quality to put away three goals against a really combative, hardworking team — I'm super proud of their effort." On Tarvin's performance, Souza added, "Riley deserved the opportunity to get in the game and show us what she can do. She made a massive save and was a calming presence back there. I'm really pleased we were able to get a victory with her in goal."
Queens opened the scoring in the 10th minute when McKayla Budion found the back of the net, but Stetson responded just five minutes later. Ava Kooker buried the equalizer in the 16th minute to bring the Hatters level, igniting the team's early momentum. Stetson continued to press offensively, generating several opportunities through Hailey Shelly, Brooke Voorhees, and Katharina Marx, while the defense held firm to keep the match tied 1-1 heading into halftime.
The second half saw Queens briefly reclaim the lead in the 59th minute on Budion's second goal of the night. Refusing to back down, Stetson surged back with renewed energy. Voorhees leveled the match in the 67th minute, and just over a minute later, Kelly Gende netted the go-ahead goal—her first of the season—off an assist from Kooker to give the Hatters a 3-2 advantage.
From there, Stetson's defense and goalkeeper Riley Tarvin held strong. Tarvin made a key late save to preserve the lead as the Hatters fended off multiple Queens attacks in the closing minutes to seal the comeback win.
Kooker led the way with a goal and an assist, while Gende and Voorhees each added goals in the second half. Gende paced the team with four shots, and Voorhees placed three on target. Tarvin finished with one crucial save in 45 minutes of play, helping secure the Hatters' fourth win of the season.
Stetson (5-12-0, 2-6-0 ASUN) will return to action Sunday, Oct. 19, hosting West Georgia at 1 p.m. at the Athletic Training Center.
