ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Behind a composed defensive performance and another clean sheet from goalkeeper
Aleksa Lukic, the No. 19 University of North Georgia men's soccer team closed out the Peach Belt Conference regular season with a scoreless draw at No. 24 Flagler on Saturday afternoon at Saints Field.
The result moves the Nighthawks to 9-4-5 overall and 8-2-2 in league play, clinching the top seed in the upcoming Peach Belt Conference Tournament and earning tournament's hosting rights.
The regular season conference championship is the first for the UNG men's soccer team.
Lukic was once again the backbone of the Nighthawk defense, collecting four saves, two in each half, to record his fifth shutout of the season. His efforts came against a persistent Flagler attack that generated 13 total shots but found little success breaking down North Georgia's disciplined back line.
The draw marked the fifth time this season that North Georgia has earned a point against a top-25 team, pushing their unblemished season record to 1-0-5 against nationally ranked teams.
The Nighthawks settled in after a quiet first half to dictate much of the second stanza, creating a handful of quality scoring chances.
Santiago Cano,
Jorge Sandoval,
Mikey Jensen and
Aram Lara each placed shots on frame, but Flagler goalkeeper Ryan Rivas matched Lukic's performance with four saves of his own to keep the match level.
Defensively,
DJ Shin,
Max Garnett,
Vukašin Lukovic and
Fasaikou Jammeh anchored a back line that stood firm under pressure, clearing numerous crosses and limiting the Saints' opportunities inside the 18-yard box. North Georgia also earned three second-half corner kicks, pushing forward late in search of a winner before time expired.
The PBC Tournament kicks off next weekend (Saturday, Nov. 8), but the Nighthawks will receive an opening round bye and with their next action set for the semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 12. at the UNG Soccer Complex at Lynn Cottrell Park.
