DAHLONEGA -- University of North Georgia men's soccer sophomore midfielder Aram Lara has been named as the Chick-fil-A Nighthawk of the Week after sparking one of the best moments of the regular season on Wednesday against Lander. 

Thanks to a dazzling goal from Lara in the final minutes of the Senior Night match against the Bearcats, UNG defeated Lander 2-1 and clinched a second-place finish in the Peach Belt Conference for just the second time in program history.

A loss would've meant a third place finish in the PBC for the Nighthawks, meaning they would have to defeat a Lander team they had beaten just one time (Oct. 27, 2021) in the last 12 years.

Lara's first goal of the season came after a redirected corner attempt. In the midfield but shaded towards the far side, Lara collected the ball and assessed the situation. One touch to his left gave him a path to the goal while simultaneously removing a defender from the equation. Without hesitation, Lara took his shot. It was a low liner that skipped off the turf before meeting the keeper. Despite the Bearcat goalie covering the left side of the goal, Lara slipped it past him, slotting the ball perfectly between the keeper and the left post. 

A joyous Nighthawk team and fan base celebrated the victory and the second-place finish in the conference. Now, Lara and UNG will prepare for the PBC Conference Tournament after securing a bye in the bracket. The Nighthawks will take the field in Morrow, Ga. at host Clayton State on Friday, Nov. 15 against either Flagler, Georgia Southwestern or USC Aiken. UNG is a combined 5-0-1 against those three teams this season.

The Nighthawk of the Week title sponsor is Chick-fil-A of Dahlonega, with each week's winner being treated to a complimentary combo meal at the Dahlonega restaurant. Located at 488 Morrison Moore Parkway East, Chick-fil-A loves to give back to the local area and is proud to be a community partner with UNG Athletics.

Beginning in the fall of 2014, the UNG athletic department began honoring one student-athlete each Monday morning as the Nighthawk of the Week. The award is chosen each Sunday evening by an award selection committee made up of members of the UNG athletics administrative staff.