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Energized by Retriever fans, mens soccer wins America East championship, earning NCAA bid.
The UMBC mens soccer team clinched the America East Conference championship on Saturday, November 15, with a 2-1 victory over Hartford. The win earned the Retrievers an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, the teams fourth NCAA tournament berth in five years.
Coach Pete Caringis crew is unbeaten in the past 25 games against America East foes a conference record. The Retrievers are also just the second team in America East history to win both regular season and tournament titles in back-to-back seasons.
The excitement on campus is palpable; during the game it was electric. For those who couldnt witness the victory first-hand at Retriever Soccer Park, The Baltimore Sun reports, When the 90 minutes were up, UMBC fans and students stormed the field and celebrated with the players at midfield.
This level of fan energy is a hallmark of UMBC. Fans fill Retriever Soccer Park for home games and stadiums on the road. UMBC mens soccer consistently ranks among the top 25 NCAA Division I teams in home game attendance.
The crowd exploded during UMBCs November 12 America East semifinal tournament game against Vermont when forward Kay Banjo, the leagues Striker of the Year, broke a 1-1 deadlock with a phenomenal back-heel goal. Banjos story exemplifies the impact fans have on the game how the support our student-athletes feel from the UMBC community makes a difference for them on the field.
Faced with the elimination of Towsons mens soccer program in 2013, Banjo 15, media and communication studies, had to decide how to use his final year of collegiate eligibility. Considering his options, he remembered the fan support he saw at Retriever Soccer Park when he attended a contest there in 2013, and this year he is competing for the Retrievers. UMBC, he told The Baltimore Sun, fits like a glove.
At the core of Retriever Fever is Lot 17, named for the old moniker of the Stadium Lot, where fans have historically gathered before and after games. Lot 17 members make their presence known with gold t-shirts, chants, flags, a beating drum, and unbridled enthusiasm for UMBC.
Lot 17 President Zach Trout 15, business technology administration, is plugged into the countrys rapidly growing passion for soccer. He shares, My main goal is to grow Lot 17 so future students can experience the feeling of attending a professional soccer game right here at UMBC.
For Retriever fan Margaret Glassman 16, management of aging services, Lot 17 is about making lifelong friends and memories. She says, It was great to find a group of people that love watching soccer as much as I do, and I think it definitely gives UMBC a home field advantage.
Ben Alkon 16, history, agrees, saying, UMBC has a diverse student body culturally as well as socially. If theres something a student likes to do, Id bet there are other students at UMBC with the same passion. For Alkon, that group is Lot 17.
With this new championship, Lot 17s vision of soccer glory is becoming a reality. The Retrievers will carry the energy and support of a powerful fan community wherever NCAA takes them.
For information on UMBC mens soccer in the upcoming NCAA tournament, visit www.umbcretrievers.com.
(Updated 11/17/2014)
