PEMBROKE – Lindsay Zullo's 95th minute direct kick sailed under the wall and past UNCP goalkeeper Britney Bennett to give visiting Flagler a 3-2 win over the 23rd-ranked Lady Braves in the home opener for the Black and Gold on Friday evening at Varsity Grounds.

The setback sent UNCP (5-2-1, 1-2-0 PBC) reeling to its second-straight loss in league play, while the win helped Flagler (5-2-0, 2-1-0) snap a two-game winning streak. The win also moved the Saints to 2-1-0 all-time against the Lady Braves, including a 2-0-0 mark in Pembroke.

Flagler got goals from three different players, including Zullo who notched a game-high seven shots on the day as well. Michelle Hernandez netted her first career goal early in the contest, while Amalia Arvidsson registered her fourth goal of the campaign. Andrea Collen added an assist for the Lady Braves as well.

UNCP goalkeeper Britney Bennett scooped up seven saves between the pipes for the Lady Braves, but allowed a season-high three goals – the most allowed by the reigning Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year since a 3-0 setback to Columbus State on November 5 of last season. Christina Coca played the final 49:41 of the outing for the Saints and picked up the win after nabbing a trio of saves.

Hernandez broke the deadlock early on by swiping a routine save from Flagler starting netminder Casey Merson and firing the ball into an open net in the seventh minute (6:01) for the early advantage. The visitors would answer just more than 11 minutes later, however, as Loren Cate followed her own initial strike with a laser past Bennett that knotted the score back up. Taylor Adkins would hand the Saints their first lead of the game on a workmanlike score in the 37th minute (36:34), but Arviddson countered with a score of her own for the Lady Braves at 36:34 to even the score up heading into the halftime break.

After toting a 10-8 shots advantage into the intermission, Flagler would find six of the nine shots in the second half, but neither team was able to punch in the go-ahead score. Cate had the best chance to break the tie when her 59th minute strike caught the woodwork. Coca managed to swallow up all three of UNCP's shots on goal in the second stanza, including an 89th minute shot by Hernandez.

The Lady Braves will be back in action again on Monday when they make the short trek up U.S. 74 to battle region rival Wingate (5-2-0) in a 7 p.m. tilt at the WU Soccer Complex. The squads have split nine series meetings (4-4-1), including last season's 0-0 tie in Pembroke.