Baltimore, Md.-Four combined goals in six and a half minutes late in the second half sent the game to overtime, but the UMBC women's soccer team (5-5-0, 0-1-0 AEC) dropped its America East Conference opener, 4-3, to New Hampshire ( 6-3-0, 1-0-0 AEC) Sunday afternoon at UMBC Stadium.
The Wildcats were awarded a direct kick at the 95:18 mark, and Lindsey Smagula got the ball past Retriever freshman goalie Catie Bukowski (Odenton, Md./Arundel/South Carolina) for the victory.
The game went to overtime after an exciting finish to the second half. With the game tied at 1-1, New Hampshire's Adriana Gonzalez-Medina scored at 78:13 to give the Wildcats a one-goal advantage. But just over one minute later, UMBC junior forward Kelly Fiorani (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty) converted a pass from senior forward Missy Moore (Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel) to knot the game at 2-2 at the 79:26 mark. The goal was Fiorani's second of the season, and it was Moore's second dish of the year.
UNH again took the lead at 81:13 when Michelle Sheehan scored an unassisted goal, but Retriever sophomore forward Jessica Young (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) countered three and a half minutes later, placing the ball into the upper left corner at 84:45 to tie the game at 3-3. The goal was Young's team-leading seventh of the season, a new career high.
Neither team would score again until Smagula's game-winner in the 95th minute.
New Hampshire took a 1-0 lead midway through the first half, at the 20:25 mark, when Ashlee Cieslak scored off a corner kick by Gonzalez-Medina. The score remained the same through the rest of the first period and well into the second frame before Retriever sophomore midfielder Amy Morrison (Crofton, Md./South River) notched her second goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1.
Bukowski totaled four saves in the net while allowing all four Wildcat goals. UNH goalie Julie Randall recorded two saves and allowed three Retriever goals.
UMBC out-shot New Hampshire 13-11 and held a 6-1 advantage on corner kicks.
The Retrievers return to action Friday, Sept. 30, when they take a quick break from America East opponents to host Howard at 7 p.m. at UMBC Stadium.
