DAHLONEGA – The University of North Georgia (UNG) men's soccer team has unveiled its schedule for the 2025 season.

The Nighthawks are coming off an 8-6-3 season in which they finished in second place in the Peach Belt Conference for the second time in program history and first time since 2016. 

UNG also made a trip to the PBC Tournament Semifinals for the second consecutive season and just the third time in the last 17 years. 

With momentum on their side, the Nighthawks are ready for a challenging 2025 schedule that begins on Thursday, Sep. 4 at 7 p.m. with the season and home opener at the UNG Soccer Field at Lynn Cottrell Park. UNG wil face Coker, which was the third-seeded team in the 2024 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship Super Region 2, to open the new season.

"We are excited about the schedule we have put together this upcoming season," said head coach Anel Lilic. "It is a challenging and competitive slate that will test us early and often against some of the best teams in the region. That's exactly what we want." 

The early-season, non-conference schedule consists of four more tough games for the Nighthawks in which they will face Lincoln Memorial, Young Harris, Tampa and Florida Tech. All four games will be away from home with the Sep. 11 matchup with the Tampa Spartans set to take place at Lanier Soccer Academy in Gainesville, Ga. 

On Wednesday, Sep. 17, UNG will return to Dahlonega for the PBC opener as it will host Lander at the UNG Soccer Field at 5:30 p.m.

The Nighthawks' final non-conference game of the season will take place on Wednesday, Sep. 24 as UNG hosts Anderson for a 7 p.m. showdown in Dahlonega.

After a home date with USC Aiken on Sep. 27, one of the most important weeks of the season begins for the Nighthawks as they'll face the reigning PBC Champions and PBC Tournament Runner-Up in back-to-back games. It all begins on Wednesday, Oct. 1 when UNG heads to Morrow, Ga. to take on Clayton State, followed by a Saturday, Oct. 4 home game against Flagler at 1 p.m.

Both the Lakers and Saints were participants in the NCAA Tournament last season. The Nighthawks are scheduled to play five games against 2024 NCAA postseason participants this fall. 

A new opponent will make an appearance on UNG's schedule this season as Middle Georgia has joined the PBC. The Nighthawks will face the Knights on the road in Cochran, Ga. on Wednesday, Oct. 8 before welcoming them to Dahlonega on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. for the final home game of the regular season.

The regular season will conclude on the road for UNG as it heads to Greenwood, S.C. and St. Augustine, Fla. to face Lander and Flagler respectively in the final two matches of the year.

The PBC Tournament begins with the Quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 8 and is scheduled to end with the PBC Championship one week later on Nov. 15. 

"We are looking forward to the opportunity to grow as a team and compete at a high level throughout the year," said Lilic.