HARROGATE, Tenn. – The University of North Georgia (UNG) men's soccer team secured its first win of the season with a 1-0 road victory at Lincoln Memorial (LMU) Sunday afternoon.
The Nighthawks are now 1-0-1 on the season after exacting revenge from a close home loss to LMU last season.
A hotly contested and emotional battle from last year carried over into Sunday's game between the Railsplitters and UNG.
In the first 45 minutes, both teams traded scoring opportunities, none of which proved fruitful.
At halftime, the two teams had each mustered four shots in total but UNG was the only team with a long shot on target.
The second half began with much of the same action from the first. Possession changed hands, the teams traded position on the field, shots at the net came and went and no one found the net.
That was until sophomore forward
Maxwell Mitchell used his blistering speed to race past the defense in the 79th minute.
After a battle for position at midfield, junior midfielder
Aram Lara kicked a waist-high bounce and sent a line-drive pass up the pitch. The ball whipped through a seam in the defense and Mitchell gave chase. The second-year Nighthawk controlled the ball just beyond the far side of the box with a defender on his hip. Mitchell had a breakaway and did not miss. He shot the ball on the ground past LMU keeper Daniel Benedek Miklosi and into the net just inside the near post.
The Nighthawks roared in celebration after taking a 1-0 lead on Mitchell's second goal of the season with just over 11 minutes to play in the game.
UNG held on for the remainder of the game to secure its first victory of the season.
Now the Nighthawks will prepare for another road game at Young Harris. The team will head to Young Harris, Ga. for the rivalry matchup on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m.
