DAHLONEGA — Remaining unbeaten at home, the University of North Georgia men's soccer team dug deep at the UNG Soccer Field at Lynn Cottrell Park and answered an early goal, completing a comeback victory over 16th-ranked Clayton State 2-1 in Peach Belt Conference action.
North Georgia faced a 1-0 deficit early as Alexi Iturria (CSU) scored just two minutes into the game. The Nighthawks found a way to settle in, picking up the pressure as they looked for the equalizer in the first half. North Georgia outshot CSU 8-3 in the first half, but couldn't find a goal as they went into the break down 1-0.
After the halftime break,
Payge Sinclair rose above the Laker defenders and earned a header from a cross by
Max Garnett, tying the game at 1-1 in the 61st minute. The goal was Sinclair's second of the season and Garnett's fifth assist.
An equalizer would not be enough for North Georgia as the Nighthawks continued to press, looking for an upset of a ranked opponent for the first time since 2017. A penalty in the box made way for
Santiago Cano to be the hero, stepping to the penalty spot and placing it to the right of the keeper to take a 2-1 lead with just over three minutes remaining. The North Georgia defense would hold on as the Lakers pushed to find the equalizer, securing the 2-1 victory at home.
UNG picks up the seventh win of the season, securing a tie for the most wins in a season since 2018, and sit in third in the Peach Belt Conference standings. Next up for the Nighthawks is Senior Day against Flagler, hosting the Saints on Saturday (Oct. 21) at 1:30 p.m. Flagler took a 4-3 victory in the first meeting between the two programs and is one spot behind UNG in the PBC standings with an overall record of 3-6-4.
