DAHLONEGA – The University of North Georgia (UNG) men's soccer team celebrated another thrilling win in a 2-1 victory over Lander Wednesday night at the UNG Soccer Field at Lynn Cottrell Park. It was thanks to late-game heroics from sophomore midfielder Aram Lara that lifted UNG to a necessary win over the Bearcats. The triumph secured a second place finish in the Peach Belt Conference for UNG, marking just the program's second such finish in school history. 

In two years under Anel Lilic, who spent the 2023 season as the interim head coach of the Nighthawks, UNG has finished in third and second place in the conference respectively. The program had reached such heights just three times in its 30-year intercollegiate-era prior to Lilic's takeover. 

The stakes were high entering Wednesday's must-win game for Lilic's squad. When the Nighthawks woke up on Wednesday morning, they were firmly in a tie with Flagler for second place in the PBC. The advantage UNG held was that it claimed the tiebreaker over the Saints after sweeping them in two regular season matchups for the first time in program history. 

However, by kickoff in front of a crowd dressed in all black, the circumstances had changed. Taking on a last place USC Aiken team at home, Flagler scored a pair of late goals to defeat the Pacers 2-0 Wednesday and momentarily jump the Nighthawks in the standings. This meant UNG could only secure a second place finish and bye in the PBC Tournament with a win. It would need to defeat a Lander team that it already lost to in Greenwood, S.C. back on Sep. 18. In fact, the Nighthawks entered Wednesday's contest with just one win (Oct. 27, 2021) against the Bearcats in the last 12 years. 

Things changed on Wednesday night. With the pen in their hand, the Nighthawks wrote a different story. 

In the 23rd minute, freshman forward Jorge Sandoval got the party started with his second jaw-dropping, eye-popping, show-stopping goal of the season.  After an attempted cross from junior defender DJ Shin was headed away by a Lander defender, Sandoval possessed the ball on the far side just outside the corner of the penalty box. 

The former Atlanta United striker planted his right foot and powered a shot from just inside the penalty area. The ball sailed over Bearcat keeper Keanu Ridgill and shook the back of the net. 

Sandoval's third goal of the season and second in the last three games gave his team a 1-0 lead. It was a lead the Nighthawks looked like they would hold on to into halftime, until a late first-half goal from Lander evened the scoring at 1-1. 

Out of the second half, both teams struggled to generate good looks on goal. While UNG held a decided advantage in the shots category (15 to 7 by game's end), it failed to find the go-ahead goal it needed. 

Lander still held an outside shot at second place in the league. A win over the Nighthawks would've given the Bearcats 11 points in conference play with two games left. A pair of wins over Clayton State and USC Aiken and the Bearcats would leapfrog UNG for second in the conference. 

The Bearcats had their opportunity to seize the moment in the 57th minute. Forward Callum Stokes drove into the box and stopped at the exact same spot where Sandoval scored the first goal of the game. In a very similar manner, Stokes planted his right foot and fired a bullet to the left side of the goal. This time, Nighthawk keeper Aleksa Lukic dove to his right and made a phenomenal save as he swatted the ball away from danger. It would turn out to be a game saving stop.

With the game still all square at 1-1 and only 10 minutes left on the clock, Lilic moved a number of chess pieces to give his team a chance. Between the 80th and 82nd minutes, Lilic made seven substitutions, adding an abundance of offense to the pitch. One move in particular paid off as Lara checked back into the game.

Two minutes after returning to the field, Lara had his chance to win it for UNG. As he sprinted into the box, the man they call "Spider" received a pass from Sandoval in open space. The moment was perfect. This was the chance the Nighthawks had been waiting for. Lara, green grass, second place, all firmly in sight. That is until Lara's shot sailed wide right of the net as the crowd groaned. UNG had possession on the foot of the 2023 PBC Freshman of the Year. It couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to win the game in that moment, but it was a moment that wasn't meant to be. 

If there's one thing to be learned from sports, it's that opportunities for redemption will always find a way into the fold. Lara would get his opportunity just five minutes later. 

The Nighthawks earned a corner kick with 3:03 left on the clock after another failed scoring attempt. Senior forward Rafael Oliveira Pais sent the ball into the box with his left foot. A high arcing cross appeared to provide a chance for a UNG header. However, Lander beat the Nighthawks to the ball and cleared it out of the box. 

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 Ridgill. Despite Ridgill covering the left side of the goal, Lara slipped it past him, slotting the ball perfectly between the keeper and the left post. The crowd roared, the stands shook and the Nighthawks poured onto the field in celebration as they mobbed Lara.

"Spider" couldn't have picked a better moment to net his first goal of the season. His game-winning goal would spin the silk of a joyous celebration that ensued on the field after the game. 

With a 2-1 victory over Lander, UNG purified its mind, senses and the PBC standings. 

The Nighthawks will close the regular season with a non-conference road trip to Lawerenceville, Ga. to take on Georgia Gwinnett College on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. With a bye in the PBC Tournament secured, UNG will open play in the PBC Tournament Semifinal in Morrow, Ga. on Friday, Nov. 15 against the winner between the third and sixth seeds in the bracket.