Members of Retriever Nation felt an exciting sense of déjà vu on Wednesday night as UMBC athletics took down yet another No. 1 seed. Under the lights at LaVelle Stadium in New York, No. 5 UMBC men’s soccer took on No. 1 seed Stony Brook in the America East semifinal match. After 60 scoreless minutes, Jordan Dove ‘20, economics, netted the first goal of the game. The Retriever defense doggedly and diligently controlled the field, keeping the final score to 1-0 and cementing UMBC’s place in the America East Tournament Championship game for the first time since 2014.
“We’re excited to be playing in another America East Championship. It’s an honor to be playing in the game and our players have worked extremely hard to get there,” says Pete Caringi, head coach of the Retrievers for the past 28 years.
Last night’s game followed on the heels of a nail-biting victory against University of Vermont on November 3. After 90 minutes of intense play, the Retrievers and the Catamounts stood unwavering at a 1-1 stalemate. UMBC missed the first penalty kick, increasing the tension on the field. Both teams made each subsequent goals, but UVM was denied their final shot thanks to goalkeeper Ciaran O’Loughlin ‘22. The Retrievers seized the opportunity and made good on their last goal attempt for a final score of 5-4.
The last time the Retrievers made an appearance in an America East Championship game in 2014, they walked away with the title. With yesterday’s victory, the team has now advanced to the championship six times in the past decade. UMBC brought home the America East title three of those times, and hopes to add another championship to that list of achievements.
UMBC men’s soccer will travel to Durham and take on No. 2 New Hampshire on Sunday, November 11 at 2 p.m. Live streaming of the title game will be available on ESPN3. For the most up-to-date information, follow @UMBCAthletics on Twitter.
Game update: Despite a strong effort from the Retrievers, Sunday closed out the 2018 soccer season with New Hampshire winning their first America East title.
Banner image: UMBC men’s soccer senior night game. All images courtesy of athletic communications.
Tags: Athletics
