SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After a 110 minute battle with the Lees-McRae Bobcats (4-8-5, 4-5-3 Conference Carolinas), the Converse University men's soccer team (10-4-3, 7-2-3 Conference Carolinas) advanced to the quarterfinals of the Conference Carolinas Men's Soccer Championship.

Sophomore goalkeeper Tim Baerwalde played all 110 minutes in the match and recorded five saves. The Valkyries took 27 shots and only allowed 10 from the Bobcats. Converse doubled-up the number of shots on goal as the visitors, 14-7.

Converse began the game down with Lees-Mcrae scoring 27 minutes into the first half, but Converse didn't take that sitting down. The team worked to get back in the game and junior forward Joel Houston found the goal unassisted with 15 minutes left in the first half to tie it up at 1-1. 

The Valkyries then brought the score to 2-1 with 16 minutes into the second half with junior defender Gabriel Verona scoring on a penalty kick. Lees-Mcrae fought back, tying up the game less than 4 minutes later. 

Remaining tied at the end of regulation, the game went into the first of two ten-minute overtime periods. Six minutes into the first period junior midfielder Sinan Kilincarslan found fellow junior midfielder Nicholas Gartung to give Converse the lead. Converse held the lead throughout the second overtime period and secured the victory 3-2.

Due to No. 4 seeded Belmont Abbey losing to the No. 9 seeded Emmanuel Lions, the Valkyries will host the Lions at Weisiger Stadium Saturday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m.

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