Net Gains
Looking Back On a Phenomenal Year for UMBC Soccer
An amazing season for both UMBC soccer squads finally came to a close in below-freezing temperatures at Retriever Soccer Park on November 24, 2013 when the men’s team – ranked at #5 in the nation – played a 2-2 see-saw second-round NCAA tournament game against the University of Connecticut that ended with the Retrievers bowing out of the tournament on penalty kicks.
Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams had an incredible ride, however –breaking new ground for UMBC’s athletics program while proving that winners on the field can also excel in academics.
The UMBC men’s squad won their NCAA bid – and the right to host the university’s first-ever home game in the tournament – with resounding 4-0 victory against the University of Hartford at Retriever Soccer Park on November 16, 2013. It was a campaign during which the Retriever men also won the America East regular season championship and compiled a 16-1-3 record overall.
The Retriever women’s soccer team ended their season with a hard-fought 2-0 loss in the first round of the women’s NCAA to the fourth-ranked team in the nation – Virginia Tech – in Blacksburg, VA on November 15, 2013.
The UMBC womenÂ’s appearance in the NCAA Tournament capped off a reversal of fortune that saw the squad improve from last place to first place in the America East conference, earning a 13-6-2 record, a regular season title and a conference tournament championship along the way. The womenÂ’s team bested Stony Brook University 2-1 in the America East final at Retriever Soccer Park On November 9, 2013 to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
The success of the UMBC soccer program in 2013 has netted players and coaches numerous honors from the America East conference. MenÂ’s head coach Pete Caringi, Jr. and his staff were voted by the leagueÂ’s coaches as the Coaching Staff of the Year. Three of the teamÂ’s players also received the leagueÂ’s highest honors, including senior forward Pete Caringi, III (Striker of the Year); senior midfielder Kadeem Dacres (Midfielder of the Year) and junior fullback Oumar Ballo (Defender of the Year).
WomenÂ’s head coach Leslie Wray and her staff received the Coaching Staff of The Year award from the America East conference, while junior midfielder Jessy Brown shared Midfielder of the Year honors with Hartford UniversityÂ’s Stephanie Santos. (Brown was also names as the MVP of the America East tournament.)
UMBC soccer players are not just making their mark on the field of play. Both the menÂ’s and womenÂ’s teams at the university have matched their success between the lines with excellence in the classroom. In the last round of College Team Academic Awards given by the National College Coaches Association for the 2011-2012 seasons, UMBC was among only 150 schools where both the menÂ’s and womenÂ’s teams received this academic honor for having team cumulative grade point averages at 3.0 or higher.
And as the America East conference gave out its individual honors for competition, both womenÂ’s team standout Jessy Brown (who has a 3.70 GPA in biology) and junior midfielder Michael DiCesare (who scored the only goal in the November 6 win that clinched the menÂ’s regular season title for UMBC) were also named to the America EastÂ’s All-Academic team.
“Our campus takes pride in connecting athletics with the life and academic culture of the university,” says Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, president of UMBC. “The achievements of our women’s and men’s soccer teams this season demonstrate that the concept of a scholar-athlete is alive and well at UMBC.”
Retriever Fever is also catching on among students, alumni and other local college soccer fans. UMBC ranked 13th in attendance nationally among menÂ’s soccer programs, and those numbers are up from 995 in 2012 to 1,228 per game in the current campaign.
For more information on UMBCÂ’s soccer program, visit www.umbcretrievers.com.
(Updated 11/25/2013)
