HICKORY, N.C. — North Georgia dismantled Lenoir-Rhyne 4-0 on Wednesday, extending its winning streak to three matches while maintaining its regional powerhouse status. The Nighthawks, ranked among Division II's elite at 14-1-1, controlled the contest from start to finish against the home Bears, who fell to 9-4-1 with the loss.
Grace McGill opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, assisted by Bailey Oetinger, giving North Georgia an early advantage. The Nighthawks' attack proved relentless throughout the first half, though McGill's early breakthrough proved decisive in setting the tone for the remainder of the match.
Nina Lopez extended North Georgia's lead to 2-0 in the 46th minute early in the second half, capitalizing on Lenoir-Rhyne's defensive vulnerabilities. The Bears struggled to generate offensive momentum, managing only four shots on goal compared to North Georgia's 13.
Bailey Oetinger added the third goal in the 53rd minute, assisted by McGill, as the Nighthawks' offensive rhythm continued unabated. McGill capped the dominant performance with her second goal in the 56th minute, assisted by Kyleigh Drew, sealing a comprehensive victory.
North Georgia's defensive organization proved equally impressive. The Nighthawks limited Lenoir-Rhyne to eight shot attempts while recording four corner kicks to the Bears' zero. Goalkeeper saves favored the home side 9-4, though the statistical advantage proved meaningless given the lopsided shot distribution.
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