Baltimore, Md.- Jim Stevens scored the game's lone goal in the 18th minute as visiting Lehigh (9-3-1) nipped UMBC (8-5-3) in a non-conference contest played at UMBC Stadium.
The loss ends UMBC's 28-game home unbeaten streak. The Retrievers had won 20 games and tied eight since a 3-1 loss to Navy in September of 2002.
Stevens scored his eighth goal of the season in unusual fashion at the 17:26 mark. Lehigh goalkeeper Charlie Sales sent a booming punt downfield and it bounded beyond a Retriever defender. The 6-foot-7 forward ran onto the ball, and hit shot from nine yards out on the left wing bounced just inside the far right post.
Trying to protect its streak, UMBC applied the pressure in the second half, outshooting their guests, 9-2, but were unable to get high quality chances. Freshman forward Manuel Mariel's shot from ten yards out in the 83rd minute was UMBC's best chance, but it went whizzing by the near left post.
Lehigh was outshot, 12-6, for the game, and Sales made three saves to earn the shutout. UMBC freshman netminder Steve King recorded a pair of saves for UMBC.
The Retrievers return to league action on Saturday when they face Boston University in Boston, Mass.
