The young UMBC women's soccer team lost a pair of NEC matches this weekend, falling at home to the defending NEC champion Quinnipiac Braves, 2-1, in the league opener on Friday and dropping a 2-0 decision to Sacred Heart in Fairfield, CT on Sunday. The Retrievers dropped their third straight game and fell to 1-5, 0-2 NEC. Quinnipiac scored in the 11th minute, and held on to a 1-0 halftime lead. But UMBC tied the game midway through the second half, as Nicole Grinspoon converted a Jessa Karko pass. Despite losing top player Elisa Goncalves with two yellow cards, the Braves scored in the 74th minute and held on for the victory. With the game at Sacred Heart scoreless at intermission, the Pioneers' Barbara Simmons got the game-winner, scoring from close range at 59:27. Then, SHU's Jill Bizeau got an insurance marker with nine minutes remaining. UMBC managed just six shots, and netminder Becky Hicock recorded four saves in defeat.