DAHLONEGA, Ga.--Anderson Men's Soccer (3-0-2) traveled to Dahlonega on Wednesday evening for a rainy non-conference matchup against the Nighthawks of North Georgia (2-2-4). A game of back-and-forth, the contest ended with a scoreline level at 2, keeping the No. 4 Trojans unbeaten on the season.
"Tonight was a back and forth battle," said Head Men's Soccer Coach Michael Zion. "A lot of ups and downs and momentum swings for us, but overall good performance against a tough opponent. I thought we showed a lot of character and heart as we battled back to make it 2-2."
Anderson got on the board first when a Nighthawk handball resulted in an AU free kick a bit outside the box. Trojan captain Julian Caro (Medellin, Colombia) picked up his second goal of the season on the play, sending a direct kick sailing over the UNG goalkeeper into the upper corner of the net. AU took a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute.
The half proceeded with both sides earning threatening opportunities, as the Trojans recorded eight shots and four corner kicks in the opening 45 minutes, while the Nighthawks tallied seven shots and six corner kicks.
In the 38th minute, North Georgia leveled the game at the expense of an Anderson foul in the box which resulted in a converted Nighthawk penalty kick. The game was 1-1 at the break.
The second half saw both teams return to the pitch eager to capitalize offensively. The Trojans posted another eight shots in the second period, totaling 16 on the night, 12 of which came on frame. The SOG count is the most since October of the 2022 season.
Following a series of momentum shifts, the host team took their first lead of the night at minute 71. A scramble for the ball in Anderson's box found the foot of a Nighthawk who tucked it away. AU's momentum didn't falter, however, and Juan Jose Alvarez (Santiago, Chile) brought the score back even with just five minutes left to play. The goal marks his second of the 2025 campaign.
With the draw, the Black and Gold move to 3-0-2 on the season. The Trojans will return to conference play this weekend, hosting Tusculum on Saturday at 7:30 PM.
