DAHLONEGA — The train kept rolling for the University of North Georgia men's soccer team, taking a 3-0 victory over the USC Aiken Pacers at the UNG Soccer Field at Lynn Cottrell Park. The Nighthawks were the aggressors for the evening, taking a 1-0 lead in the first half before rattling off another two in the second.
Michael Walsh opened up the game with an early goal in the 14th minute off an assist from
Mattia Balzano, finding a bouncing ball in the box after a corner and hammering it home into the back of the net. Both sides would remain scoreless for the remainder of the half, with the Pacers picking up their attack and creating chances.
After the halftime break, North Georgia would find another one, taking a 2-0 lead in the 62nd minute after
Will Bentley got rewarded from a well-executed free kick, with Balzano sending it into
Max Garnett, who found Bentley with an open net in front of him.
Santiago Cano wrapped up the victory, scoring his second of the season by way of an assist by
Aram Lara just 11 minutes later, ending all hope on the Pacer sideline. North Georgia moves to 4-3-1 on the season, one game above .500, and have taken just one loss in their last six games.
Next on the agenda is a road Peach Belt Conference matchup against 16th-ranked Clayton State on Wednesday (Sept. 27) at 5:00 p.m. CSU has been on an early tear this season, holding a 6-1 record and winning four straight heading into a matchup against the Nighthawks that feature two of the hottest teams in the PBC.
