DAHLONEGA - The No. 8 University of North Georgia (UNG) women's soccer team opened its postseason run in convincing fashion Saturday afternoon, defeating Clayton State 3-0 in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament quarterfinals at the UNG Soccer Field at Lynn Cottrell Park.
After a scoreless opening half, the top-seeded Nighthawks (16-1-1) broke through in the 55th minute when
Nina Lopez netted her ninth goal of the season off a setup from
Malia Burkes. North Georgia continued to control possession and add pressure, outshooting the eighth-seeded Lakers 27-0 on the afternoon.
UNG doubled its lead in the 76th minute as
Blanca Cruz buried a pass from
Sam Cottle, then returned the favor five minutes later when Cottle finished off a feed from Cruz to cap the scoring in the 81st minute.
Goalkeeper
Isabelle Lee recorded the shutout without facing a shot on goal, marking the team's 10th clean sheet of the season. The Nighthawk defense kept Clayton State from registering a single attempt.
North Georgia advances to the Peach Belt semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 12 where they will host fifth-seeded Flagler. Flagler advanced with a 1-0 win over fourth-seeded GCSU on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
