DAHLONEGA - The University of North Georgia (UNG) men's soccer team fell on a golden goal in the 92nd minute, dropping a 2-1 decision to third-seeded Flagler on Saturday afternoon in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship at the UNG Soccer Complex.
The Saints broke the deadlock just 85 seconds into overtime when Tim Wahlborg collected a pass inside the box and finished for his second goal of the day, securing the road win for Flagler. The assist sequence came from Luke Williams and Daniel Becerra.
North Georgia (10-5-5) struck first in the 31st minute, capitalizing on sustained pressure in the attacking third.
Jorge Sandoval buried his eighth goal of the season off a clean combination play from
DJ Shin and
Isaac Calderon to put the Nighthawks ahead 1-0. The lead lasted just over four minutes before Wahlborg leveled the match at 34:55, finishing shortly after a wave of substitutions reshaped both sides.
Both teams generated chances throughout a physical opening half that featured 23 fouls between the two sides. North Georgia goalkeeper
Aleksa Lukic made four saves in the first period and finished with five overall, while counterpart Ryan Rivas totaled four saves for Flagler.
No. 24 Flagler (12-2-6) held a slim 13-12 advantage in the shot column, but UNG earned six corner kicks, including four after halftime, but were unable to break through in the second half despite sustained pressure. UNG's back line held firm after the break as the match tightened with a combined 39 fouls and three yellow cards issued.
Sandoval was joined by
Vukašin Lukovic and
Santiago Cano on the PBC All-Tournament team.
The Nighthawks will now wait to see if their season is extended in the NCAA Tournament with a possible at-large berth. The selection show is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 17 at 7:00 p.m.
