Baltimore, MD - Senior defender Marcus Gross (Barnstaple, England) broke a one-all tie with a score in the 66th minute to lead host UMBC (2-3-1) to a 2-1 victory over Bowling Green (0-5-1) in a non-conference match-up at steamy UMBC Stadium.
Trailing 1-0 at intermission, the Falcons' Omari Aldridge knotted the score as he headed in Justin Kimâ's direct kick from close range at the 56:37 mark. But, for the second straight game, senior midfielder Eric Mahon (Cambridge, Md./Cambridge-South Dorchester) found the rangy Gross on a corner kick, and the two-time America East all conference defender headed it inside the left post from seven yards away.
UMBC held BGSU to only two second half shots, and despite four second half corner kicks, the Falcons could not answer the Retrievers' second score.
UMBC took a 1-0 lead with just 21 seconds remaining in the first half. Freshman forward Kevin Gnatiko (Montgomery Village, Md./Watkins Mill) ran down an errant cross inside the far left end line and sent it back to the far post, where junior forward Kevin Mezzadra (Fallston, Md./Loyola-Blakefield) headed it home from four yards away.
Gross and Mezzadra share the team lead with three goals each.
UMBC outshot BGSU, 11-6, and Retriever netminder Andy Marchica (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch) made four saves in the win. Falcon goalkeeper Brandon Decker had five saves for the visitors.
The Retrievers are now undefeated in their last 23 regular season home games (16-0-7), dating back to 2002. UMBC will entertain local rival Mount St. Mary's on Wednesday evening.
