DAHLONEGA – Isaac Calderon converted a penalty kick in the 103rd minute to lift the No. 2-seeded University of North Georgia (UNG) men's soccer team to a 3-2 double-overtime victory over No. 3 seed Clayton State on Wednesday night in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament semifinals at the UNG Soccer Field.
The Nighthawks (13-2-5) secured their second consecutive double-overtime victory and punched their ticket to the PBC Tournament championship. Calderon's game-winner came at the 102:56 mark of the second overtime, sealing another dramatic finish for North Georgia.
The Nighthawks appeared poised to close out the match in regulation after building a 2-1 halftime advantage. Clayton State struck first in the 13th minute, but the Nighthawks answered less than three minutes later when Dženan Cerimagic found the back of the net off an assist from Rhys Shirley.
Rafael Kawata gave North Georgia its first lead of the night in the 37th minute, scoring his eighth goal of the season on a free kick to put the Nighthawks ahead 2-1 heading into halftime.
The Nighthawks held that advantage until the 89th minute, when Clayton State's Sonny Simpson scored the equalizer to force overtime.
Neither team found the net during the first 10-minute overtime period, sending the contest into a second extra period. With the match approaching its conclusion, Clayton State was called for a foul in the box, setting up Calderon's opportunity from the penalty spot. The first-team all-conference selection converted with just under eight minutes remaining in the second overtime to secure the 3-2 win.
North Georgia finished with a 14-8 advantage in shots, including an 8-5 edge in shots on goal. Aleksa Lukic recorded three saves for the Nighthawks.
The victory marks the second straight match North Georgia has won in double overtime, following Saturday's 2-1 Peach Belt Conference Tournament quarterfinal victory over Georgia Southwestern, which was also decided by a golden goal in the second extra period.
The Nighthawks will seek their first PBC Tournament championship in program history on Nov. 7 when they face No. 1 seed Flagler in St. Augustine, Florida. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.