CHARLESTON, S.C. - Marky Boyce put away her conference-leading 13th goal of the season to lead the Charleston Southern soccer team into sole possession of first place in the Big South Conference with a 1-1 draw against Winthrop University Friday afternoon at Buccaneer Field.

The Buccaneers (12-4-2, 5-1-2 BSC) stand alone in first place after the tie, moving one point ahead of Liberty University in the conference standings. CSU now has 17 points, while LU is second with 16. The Lady Flames still have two games left to play in the final weekend of the regular season, while Charleston Southern has one more game remaining in conference action.

Winthrop (5-9-3, 2-4-2 BSC) came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, and the Lady Eagles outplayed Charleston Southern for the first 10 minutes. The poor start by CSU ended up costing the Buccaneers as they allowed a goal in the third minute to Ariel Kunde. She volleyed in a shot after Katie Perkinson sent a perfect cross into the box.

Of the 22 goals allowed by CSU this season, 10 of them have come in the first five minutes of a period.

Winthrop cooled off after its hot start, however, and Charleston Southern took control.

The Buccaneers kept playing balls forward in an effort to notch the equalizer, and it didn't take long to break down the Lady Eagle defense.

The increased pressure culminated when Jen Vroman won a corner kick for CSU after having a shot blocked past the endline. Olivia Urig took the corner and sent the ball far post. Marky Boyce was in excellent position to head the ball back to the original near post (her far post) and past WU goalkeeper Kelsy Weavil, who was well out of position and had no chance of stopping the perfectly-placed header.

Boyce's marker gives her 13 for the season, which leads the conference and leaves her two shy of second on the CSU all-time single season list (Katie Crona, 2004). Her 33 points this year are just one shy of tying Crona for second most in a single season by a Buccaneer.

Despite holding an 11-9 shot advantage heading into the second half, CSU was unable to move ahead of WU.

Both teams had wonderful opportunities to get on the board in the second half, but both goalies came up huge for their teams. The best chance for the Buccaneers came in the 60th minute when Sarah Catenacci ripped a shot from 25 yards out that was deflected into the crossbar by WU goalkeeper Kelsy Weavil.

Allie VandeWater took a shot in the 75th minute that started to rise as it got closer to CSU goalkeeper Jena Lalich. Lalich's well-timed jump allowed her to get her fingertips on the ball and also send it into the crossbar. The ball ricocheted off the post and went sideways away from Lalich along on the goal line. It hugged the line but never completely crossed, and a Buccaneer defender came in and blasted it out off the danger area just in time.

Neither team could find the game-winner in regulation, so extra sessions were needed.

Catenacci was playing her first game since injuring her knee Oct. 12 against Virginia Military Institute, and she nearly came away with the golden goal in the first minute of the first overtime.

Her shot was saved by Weavil and Winthrop took over for the first rest of the 10-minute period. WU outshot CSU 4-1 in the first OT, with the best chance coming in the final minute. Lalich was up to the task, though, and kept CSU alive.

The Buccaneers dominated Winthrop in the second overtime, outshooting WU 5-0. CSU also had four corner kicks and without conceding one to the Lady Eagles.

Caitlin Wesnesky headed a ball off one of the corners in the 106th minute that was initially saved by Weavil. The ball went to Anja Djumisic, who tried her best to notch her second golden goal in as many games.

Weavil was out of position, but a WU defender got in the way of the shot and saved the Lady Eagles. The two teams played out of the remainder of the game with no goals going up on the board.

Urig didn't start the contest but subbed on early, finishing with a career-high 98 minutes. She had arguably her best game of the season at her central midfielder position, and added her first assist since Aug. 28.

Vroman had a strong game as well, but had her streak of six-consecutive games with an assist snapped as she failed to get on the board. The mark is a school record.

CSU outshot WU 30-17 and led in corner kicks 7-4. Lindsey Trexler led the way with six shots, and central midfielders Djumisic and Urig tied for second on the team with five shots apiece. Tricia Vensel led Winthrop with four shots.

Lalich (7-1-2) made six saves and allowed one goal in 110:00 of action. Weavil (5-8-2) made 10 saves and allowed Boyce's goal, also playing 110:00.

CSU moves to 3-2-3 all-time against Winthrop, but has yet to take down the Lady Eagles in any of the last five matchups (0-2-3).

There are three days remaining in the regular season, and a plethora of situations are still in play in terms of seeding for next week's conference tournament. CSU could wind up as high as earning sole possession of the regular season championship and as low as fourth place.

Liberty controls its own destiny and will get its chance to take over sole possession of first place when the team travels to University of North Carolina Asheville Oct. 30.

Charleston Southern will look to get some momentum going into the Big South Conference Tournament when the team plays host to Gardner-Webb University at 7 p.m. Oct. 31 at Blackbaud Stadium. The Bulldogs fell 2-0 to Coastal Carolina today and remain two points behind CSU. A win over the Buccaneers on Halloween night, however, would vault GWU ahead of Charleston Southern.