DAHLONEGA – The University of North Georgia (UNG) men's soccer team used a pair of late goals in the second half to defeat Barry 2-0 in the 2026 season opener at the UNG Soccer Field on Thursday evening.
North Georgia came out firing in the first half with 13 shots, testing the Buccaneers' goalkeeper Henry Obi. On the defensive side of the field, UNG's backline held its ground and limited the Buccaneers to just three shots in the first half.
Despite a handful of early opportunities to score through the first 45 minutes, the Nighthawks headed into halftime with the score still knotted at 0-0.
The Nighthawks kept the pressure on Barry in the second half, and with 28:53 remaining in the game, North Georgia broke through.
From well beyond the box on the right side of the field, Isaac Calderon floated a cross into the box that ricocheted off a number of players before finding the feet of Rafael Kawata. The senior midfielder delivered a strike past the goalkeeper to give the Nighthawks the lead. In his first game in a Nighthawk uniform, Kawata had just put the first goal of the 2026 campaign on the board for his new team.
With momentum on its side, it would not take long for North Georgia to strike again. Less than 30 seconds after Kawata's goal, him and Calderon ran a textbook give-and-go past the defense and the Buccaneers' goalkeeper, setting Calderon up for a wide-open goal on the right side to put the Nighthawks up 2-0 for good.
Despite a late push from the Buccaneers, North Georgia's defense continued to stand strong, holding Barry to just one shot through the final 45 minutes.
Calderon and Kawata's goals paved the way for a Nighthawk offense that delivered 23 shots against Barry. With an assist in tonight's game, Calderon becomes the first Nighthawk since at least 2004 with 12 career assists.
The Nighthawks (1-0) look to carry this momentum into their next matchup against Christian Brothers on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 1 p.m. at the UNG Soccer Field.
