DAHLONEGA — In a clash between the top two teams in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) standings, the No. 20 University of North Georgia (UNG) men's soccer team suffered its first home loss of the 2026 season, falling 2-0 to Flagler on Sunday afternoon.
The Nighthawks (7-2-5, 3-2-4 PBC) faced an early challenge as Flagler struck first, scoring less than two minutes into the match to take a 1-0 lead.
The Saints continued to apply pressure, looking to double their advantage. On a two-on-one opportunity, Aram Lara used his speed to catch up with the Flagler attackers and break up the chance at the last second.
Despite putting a pair of shots on target through Max Mitchell and Lara, the Nighthawks entered halftime trailing 1-0.
In the opening minutes of the second half, Rafael Kawata lined up an open shot on goal in an attempt to find the equalizer, but the Flagler goalkeeper punched the ball away to keep the Saints in front.
Flagler found its breathing room with a goal at the 88:59 mark to extend its lead to 2-0 and put the match out of reach.
Despite a late push from the Nighthawks, the Saints held on for the win in a defensive battle that featured just four shots combined between the two teams in the final 45 minutes.
Isaac Calderon, Mitchell and Lara accounted for the Nighthawks' three shots on goal. Flagler (7-1-4, 7-0-1 PBC) was led to victory by goals from Daniel Freire and Henry Okenla.
The Nighthawks will look to snap a two-game skid on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 5 p.m. when they host Clayton State at the UNG Soccer Field.
