GREENWOOD, S.C. — Lander overwhelmed North Georgia 5-1 on Wednesday, with Callum Stokes scoring three goals to lead the regional powerhouse to a decisive victory. The Bearcats (7-2-6) extended their winning streak to four matches, while the visiting Nighthawks (9-4-4) suffered their first loss in three games.
Lander broke through late in the first half when Carson Graves opened scoring in the 43rd minute, assisted by Ryosuke Tanaka. The goal capped a dominant opening 45 minutes in which the hosts controlled possession and created multiple scoring opportunities despite a scoreless first 42 minutes.
The second half proved decisive. Giacomo Sartori doubled Lander's advantage in the 54th minute with an unassisted effort from a corner kick. Stokes then took over, converting in the 64th minute with another Tanaka assist before adding an unassisted goal in the 69th minute to make it 4-0. The striker completed his hat trick in the 88th minute to seal the rout.
North Georgia's Haris Osmanbasic scored in the 81st minute to prevent a shutout, but the Nighthawks never threatened a genuine comeback. Lander's defense limited North Georgia to four shots on goal while generating 11 of their own. Goalkeeper Conrad Knight made three saves for the hosts, while Aleksa Lukic recorded six stops for the visitors.
Stokes' three-goal performance highlighted Lander's offensive firepower and Tan