ANDERSON, S.C. – The University of North Georgia men's soccer team grabbed a 2-1 non-conference victory over Anderson Wednesday night. The Nighthawks are now 5-4-1 on the season and 4-1 when playing away from home.
UNG continued its stellar play from the end of September into October in the road victory over the Trojans on Wednesday. The Nighthawks had a three-game win streak snapped in their first game of the new month a week ago against Clayton State. However, the win over Anderson gives head coach
Anel Lilic and his squad their fourth win in the last five contests.
Sophomore forward
Stephane Shongo has been on fire lately for UNG and he continued to perform at a high level in Anderson, S.C. Wednesday.
In the 17th minute, freshman forward Angel Pérez drew a foul inside the penalty box. Shongo was selected to take the penalty kick.
As Shongo stood directly behind the ball and stared at Trojan goalkeeper Franco Antoniolli Funes, he looped to his left and charged at the ball. As Funes dove to the right, Shongo delivered a sizzling dribbler to the opposite side of the goal. The PK gave UNG an early 1-0 lead.
Shongo has now scored four goals this season, tied for the most on the team joining senior forward
Rafael Oliveira Pais. Coincidentally, Pais and Shongo are the only Nighthawks to net a goal in consecutive games this season as Shongo scored UNG's lone goal last week against Clayton State.
As the clock dwindled in the first half, it appeared the Nighthawks would carry the one-goal lead into the locker room. Yet, hustle and fortune prevailed in the final minute as UNG netted another.
A punt from senior keeper
Hazel Ley sailed past the midline and bounced towards freshman forward
Edgar Vazquez Torres, who positioned himself around a defender and turned towards the attacking third.
The ball was deflected the opposite direction but directly to freshman forward
Jorge Sandoval who chipped it back towards Vazquez Torres who suddenly had a lane to the net. As Funes charged, Vazquez Torres ripped a shot that caromed off the keeper and Vazquez Torres almost simultaneously.
Suddenly, Vazquez Torres had an open net in front of him with just one defender in his way. The last line of the Trojan defense miraculously stopped Vazquez Torres' shot as the ball dribbled seemingly out of danger.
Only danger was in fact lurking on the other side. Junior forward
Will Bentley charged the ball and uncorked a cannon towards the net. The ball whistled past the cluster of players and into the back of the net.
Bentley, who got his first start of the season against Anderson, secured his first goal of the season and seventh of his career to give the Nighthawks a 2-0 lead with less than a minute remaining before halftime.
Anderson would tack on a 66th minute goal from Caleb McDowall to breathe life into the Trojans.
However, UNG continued to shut down the Anderson offense as the game came to a close and firmly grasped the 2-1 victory.
The win comes at a key time for the Nighthawks as it provides them with some momentum heading into a difficult stretch of the season. In the next four games, UNG will face three teams (Georgia Southwestern, Flagler, Clayton State) that all sit within three points of the Nighthawks in the Peach Belt Conference standings.
The first of those games takes place on the road in Americus, Ga. as UNG heads to Georgia Southwestern on Saturday, Oct. 12 for a 7 p.m. kickoff against the Hurricanes.
