DAHLONEGA — The University of North Georgia men's soccer team is set to open up its 2023 regular season on the road versus Lee on Thursday, Aug. 21st, facing the Flames for the second consecutive season opener. The Nighthawks feature new leadership, with Interim Head Coach Anel Lilic taking the reigns this season.

UNG posted a 6-10-2 record last season, opening up with a 3-1 record and earning the program's first top-25 ranking. Their lone loss in those first four games came at the hands of Lee, falling 3-0 against one of the top teams in the Gulf South Conference (GSC).

The Flames look to continue that trend, ranking second in the GSC preseason polls after a 9-4-2 record in 2022. The Nighthawks bring back 18 players from last season, hoping to increase their production, bringing in 11 new players in the offseason.

One of those players, Mattia Balzano, arrives in Dahlonega as a Graduate Student after three years at Lee. Balzano faces his former team in his first game as a Nighthawk, scoring 11 goals in 38 career appearances for the Flames.

The Nighthawks return four of the top six goal producers as Payge Sinclair, Will Bentley, Max Garnett and Tyler Vitelli all return to UNG looking to expand on their production from last season. For Lee, the Flames will be led by their top returning assist man, Fabian Navarro, who accounted for 15 points last season, scoring three goals and adding nine assists.

The match is set for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Ray Conn Sports Complex in Cleveland, Tenn.