AIKEN, S.C. – The No. 5 University of North Georgia (UNG) women's soccer team flew past USC Aiken (USCA) in a 4-0 road win in Aiken, S.C. Saturday evening.
The Nighthawks improved to 7-0-1 (3-0 Peach Belt) and remained undefeated in the victory while the Pacers fell to 4-2-1 (1-1 Peach Belt).
UNG's 7-0-1 record is now tied for the best eight-game start since 2015 in which the Nighthawks also started 7-0-1 before finishing 16-4-1 and making a run to the NCAA round of 32.
UNG simply dominated the stat sheet against USCA Saturday. 20 of the Nighthawks' 28 shot attempts were on target and UNG out shot the Pacers 28-6 in total and 20-2 in shots on goal (SOG).
Saturday marked just the 20th time in the NCAA Division II era (2005) in program history that the Nighthawks fired 20 or more shots at the net. UNG's .714 SOG percentage is the highest in a game in the DII era in program history in such games.
Despite the barrage of scoring opportunities, the first on-target shot that found the back of the net came in the 31st minute for the Nighthawks.
After receiving a throw-in on the far side of the field, sophomore midfielder
Nina Lopez executed a textbook give-and-go with sophomore teammate
Emma Moreau.
From about 40 yards, Lopez received the ball again with pace and charged towards the box as she left two defenders in the dust. No one stepped up to stop her and as Lopez reached the top of the penalty area she rifled a right-footed shot into the back of the net.
Just seven minutes later, sophomore forward
Blanca Cruz scored her third goal in as many games to give the Nighthawks a 2-0 lead.
Moreau – who tallied her first assist of the season just minutes earlier – tallied her second helper of the game after lifting a cross from the near side between two defenders right to Cruz who waited atop the six-yard box. Cruz volleyed the ball inside the left post to pad the lead.
With a pair of assists in the first half, Moreau became the first Nighthawk of the season to record multiple assists in a game.
UNG took the two-goal lead into the locker room at halftime before building on the advantage in the 67th minute with Lopez's second goal of the game.
The assist on the third Nighthawk goal of the game came from senior defender Alex Aronoff who fed Lopez in the midfield.
With a defender on her back, Lopez turned off her left shoulder and set her sights on the goal. From just inside 30 yards, she again delivered a line-drive rocket towards the net. The whizzed past the outstretched hands of USCA's keeper Savannah Yerger and into the top-left corner of the net.
Lopez shined last season before suffering an injury that sidelined her for a number of games. As a freshman midfielder she tallied four goals and three assists in 2024. In 2025 Lopez has already totaled five goals and a pair of assists. Her brace on Saturday marked the second of her career.
Lopez was not the only Nighthawk with a brace against the Pacers. In the 75th minute, Cruz also recorded the second brace of her career with the final UNG goal of the night.
Offensive spacing left Cruz with only one defender and plenty of space atop the 18-yard box. She accepted a pass from senior midfielder
Adleigh Wheeler and turned to her left by zipping past her defender.
With another touch to the left, Cruz lined up a left footed shot that beat Yerger to make it 4-0. Wheeler was credited with her first assist of the season.
Cruz has now netted four goals in the last three games which includes a pair of game winners. She last scored two goals in a game on Sept. 8 against Limestone last year in what was her second career game.
With five goals on the season for both, Cruz and Lopez are tied with each other for the most goals scored on the team this season.
The Nighthawks have now scored three or more goals in five of eight games this season. Their 23 goals in total lead the PBC and rank in the top 10 nationally.
UNG now returns home for its biggest showdown of the season. On Wednesday, Oct. 1, the Nighthawks will face No. 18 Columbus State at the UNG Soccer Field at Lynn Cottrell Park.
Kick off against the 2024 National Semifinalist Cougars is set for 5 p.m. on Military Appreciation Night.
