YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – The No. 13 University of North Georgia (UNG) men's soccer team suffered its first loss of the season on the road in a 2-1 defeat at Young Harris (YH) Wednesday evening.
The Nighthawks fell to 1-1-1 with the loss and will now get ready for a difficult opponent in No. 7 Tampa.
Wednesday's rivalry match and high expectations after earning the highest ranking in program history were quickly spoiled for UNG against the Mountain Lions.
Despite dominating time of possession, shots attempted and corner kick opportunities, two early YH goals put the Mountain Lions ahead 2-0 at halftime.
The Nighthawks 7-3 on shots after 45 minutes and 3-1 on corner kicks. That dominance continued in the second half as UNG's pressure kept YH on its heels for almost the entirety of the second half.
However, scoring chances came and went as the Nighthawks were unlucky in finding the back of the net.
In the 79th minute, the Mountain Lions were whistled for a foul in their own box. Senior defender
Vukašin Lukovic was chosen to attempt his third penalty kick of the season after having scored two PKs in the season opener against No. 9 Coker.
Lukovic's shot was saved but junior midfielder
Isaac Calderon was in prime position as he collected the rebound and punched it into the back of the net.
With roughly 11 minutes remaining, UNG trailed 2-1 and kept up the pressure on YH's back line.
Still, the Nighthawks were unable to find the back of the net as the Mountain Lions held on for the victory.
The final box score tally largely favors UNG. The Nighthawks recorded 16 shots and five shots on goal while YH only mustered eight shots. UNG had six corner kicks while the Mountain Lions only attempted three. The hard fought effort and superiority on the pitch was unfortunately not enough to overcome the early two-goal deficit.
Now the Nighthawks will quickly turnaround with the toughest competition to date on their doorstep.
The seventh-ranked Spartans of Tampa will make the trip to Gainesville, Ga. to face UNG at the Allen Creek Soccer Complex tomorrow, Thursday, Sep. at 5 p.m. less than 24 hours after Wednesday's matchup in Young Harris.
Tampa is UNG's highest-ranked opponent since the Nighthawks faced No. 5 Young Harris in Dahlonega back in October of 2021.
