BLUFFTON, S.C. – The University of North Georgia women's soccer team handed USC Beaufort its first loss of the season in a 1-0 victory in Bluffton, S.C. Tuesday afternoon. The win propels the Nighthawks to a 6-1 overall record with a 2-0 mark in Peach Belt Conference play. It also marks the first home loss for the Sand Sharks since UNG also defeated USCB on Oct. 19, 2022.
The second PBC win of the season also pushes the Nighthawks into an early-season tie for first place atop the conference with Clayton State. The Lakers are 2-0 in league play and 6-0-1 overall.
UNG finally took the field again after inclement weather related to Hurricane Helene had caused cancelations and postponements in its schedule. The Nighthawks were originally slated to face USCB in Bluffton on Saturday, Sep. 28. Tuesday's contest marked UNG's first action in 10 days.
It was thanks to consistent pressure on the attacking front and an early second half goal from Nighthawk junior forward
Bailey Oetinger that UNG was able to come away with a win.
After entering the locker room tied at 0-0, the Nighthawks came out with an abundance of pressure in the second half. In the 49th minute, Oetinger found a chance to break the scoreless tie.
Upon a Sand Shark deflection out of bounds on the near sideline, the Nighthawks earned a throw-in. Junior defender
Alexa Aronoff quickly grabbed the ball and tossed in the direct path of a streaking Nighthawk. It was senior midfielder
Darby Olive who had slipped past the defense and had the ball on her foot.
Olive drove into the box with a defender on her back. As she unleashed a dribbling shot toward the net, USCB goalkeeper Emily Worrell dove to her left and stopped the shot. However, Oetinger was charging for the chance at a deflection. The ball bounced off Worrell's hands and right to the feet of Oetinger who blasted it into the net for the score.
The goal marks Oetinger's third this season which is tied for second on the team. Olive now leads the crew with three assists through the first seven games.
UNG held its 1-0 lead through the rest of the game, thanks in part to senior goalkeeper
Sierra Fowler who saw her first action since being sidelined with an injury back on Sep. 11. While Fowler did not start the game (junior keeper
Faith Bullied took the field in the first half), she started the second half and saved all three shots she faced over the 45-minute frame.
The Nighthawks now return home to the UNG Soccer Field at Lynn Cottrell Park to face Lander on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m.
