DAHLONEGA – The University of North Georgia (UNG) men's soccer team fought to a 2-2 draw at home against No. 4 Anderson at the UNG Soccer Field at Lynn Cottrell Park Wednesday night.
The Nighthawks are now 2-2-4 on the season. All four draws have come against ranked opponents. Anderson stood as UNG's final opponent on the schedule that was currently ranked in the top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches poll.
In the final non-conference match of the season, the Nighthawks fell behind to the Trojans in the first half after a goal from Julian Caro Sepulveda in the 25th minute.
In the 39th minute trailing by a goal, UNG played a corner kick short to senior midfielder
Mikey Jensen who received the ball just inside the penalty area on the far side of the field.
Jensen was ferociously taken down and a penalty was called.
Sophomore forward
Maxwell Mitchell was selected to take the penalty kick, his first of the year. The second-year Nighthawk stood at the top of the box, looped around the left side of the ball and fired a soft shot with his right foot just right of center and into the back of the goal.
Mitchell is now tied for the team lead with three goals on the season. His late first half goal on Wednesday leveled the contest at 1-1 heading into the break.
Out of halftime, the Nighthawks were reinvigorated and on the attack. They pounded the net for eight shot attempts in the final 45 minutes.
In a crowded attacking third, senior midfielder
Miguel Romero held possession on the near sideline some 10 yards outside the box. Romero looked up and saw junior midfielder
Isaac Calderon slicing towards the goal. Romero lifted a little chip pass over the defense perfectly in front of Calderon.
As Calderon received the ball inside the six-yard box and just in front of Anderson keeper Franco Antoniolli Funes, he found senior forward
Santiago Cano at the back post who was wide open and waiting to pound the ball into the net.
Cano did just that for his third goal of the season as Nighthawk Nation was sent into a frenzy on a rainy and damp night in Dahlonega.
With a 2-1 lead in the 72nd minute, the UNG back line was then tested by a talented Trojans attacking front. Anderson manufactured a few scoring opportunities in the final 17 minutes, one of which finally broke through to tie the game with only 4:50 remaining.
Neither team could score the game winner in the final minutes ending in the draw.
The Nighthawks return to conference play this weekend as they welcome USC Aiken to Lynn Cottrell Park on Saturday, Sept. 27 for a 5 p.m. showdown.
