FLORENCE, Ala. - A tightly contested matchup was won by the Blazers in the eighth round of penalty kicks, after Valdosta State soccer overcame a 3-1 deficit in the final six minutes of regulation to force two scoreless overtime frames against No. 22 ranked North Alabama in the the quarterfinal round of the Gulf South Conference Tournament on Tuesday night in Florence, Ala.

"Surreal. Amazing. Fantastic. Any good word you can think of," exclaimed VSU goalkeeper Alyssa Curtis, who attempted to sum up her emotions while celebrating an incredible ending to her birthday on Tuesday night after the win.

The Lions struck early in the match with a conventional goal off the foot of Kylie Huey, but Valdosta State fired back just 10 minutes later. Mallory McDaniel delivered a sensational cross from the left side, and Suvi Savolainen buried the shot from point blank range to tie the match up at 1-1. The assist for McDaniel lifted her conference-high total to 10 on the season.

Later in the period, the Lions benefited from two penalty kicks awarded during a seven minute window, both of which were converted by UNA for a 3-1 advantage at intermission.

In the second half, the Blazers ramped up the attack and put offensive pressure on the Lions throughout the period, but failed to break through until the 84th minute, when Ashley Lewis cut the lead to 3-2. Less than four minutes later, Carley Montgomery saved the day in the 88th minute with a game-tying strike. The goal marked Montgomery's first of the season and sent the contest into overtime.

"I'm overwhelmed, extremely happy, and so proud of our team," said Montgomery following the match. "I'm really thankful that I had the opportunity to finish the shot that kept us in the game, because these girls have worked their butts off this whole season. This win is well deserved, and I want to celebrate with them and keep it rolling."

During VSU's second overtime duel of the season with North Alabama, the Lions applied heavy pressure in the first overtime period, while the Blazers controlled the attack in the second. Neither defense conceded, however, which led to a decision by way of penalty kicks.

Both keepers delivered saves in the first two rounds, including an eye-popping kick save by Curtis, which represented one of six saves for the senior in the contest. Scoring began in the third round, however, and after trading blows through the next five rounds, Savolainen delivered the decisive blow in the eighth before Mary Margaret Borden missed high and sent the Blazers into a wild celebration.

Head Coach Stephen Andrew, who was named the GSC Coach of the Year on Monday, enjoyed his first playoff win as a Blazer with the victory over the rival Lions. The triumph also marked his first ever win on penalty kicks as a head coach at the collegiate level.

"This is so good for this program," added Andrew. "We're back into the final four in the conference tournament, which is where we think we should be. I'm really proud of these girls and especially our seniors.  They bought in from day one after I took over, and to go on the road and get a win over this very good North Alabama team is a great accomplishment for our girls."

Next up for the Blazers, it's the semifinal round of the tournament. The match is slated for 8:30 p.m. on Friday, November 3, and will be played against Lee on a neutral site at Emory Folmar Complex in Montgomery, Ala.