DAHLONEGA – Santiago Cano delivered the breakthrough in the 78th minute, lifting the University of North Georgia (UNG) men's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Clayton State in Peach Belt Conference Tournament semifinal action on Wednesday night at the UNG Soccer Field at Lynn Cottrell Park.
The Nighthawks will host third-seeded Flagler at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15 in the championship. Flagler advanced with a 3-0 road win at No. 21 Lander in the tournament's other semifinal.
Cano finished a well-constructed sequence for his seventh goal of the season, slotting home a pass from
Vukašin Lukovic after
Jorge Sandoval initiated the buildup on the right flank. The goal came moments after a sustained spell of second-half pressure in which the Nighthawks finally unlocked the Laker back line.
North Georgia (10-4-5) controlled long stretches of the match, outshooting Clayton State 14-9 and generating six shots on goal. The Nighthawks nearly found the opener late in the first half with a flurry of attempts from
Mikey Jensen and
Max Garnett, but Clayton State goalkeeper George Roke kept the match scoreless through intermission.
UNG goalkeeper
Aleksa Lukic secured the clean sheet with two second half saves, including a crucial stop in the 55th minute on a low strike from Fabian Wagner. The Nighthawks' back line held steady through the final moments as Clayton State pushed numbers forward in search of an equalizer.
The Lakers (8-8-4) were assessed 17 fouls and managed just two shots on goal.
With their 10th win of the season, the Nighthawks reach double figures in victories for only the fourth time in program history and the first since 2017.
