Stony Brook, N.Y. - The defending league champion Stony Brook Seawolves scored a pair of second half goals and defeated visiting UMBC, 2-0, in an America East Conference contest this evening. Stony Brook improves to 4-9 and 1-2 in league play, while UMBC falls to 3-7-3, 0-2-2.
UMBC played the game without leading scorer Kevin Mezzadra, who served a one-game suspension for amassing five yellow cards.
The game was scoreless at intermission as Stony Brook outshot UMBC, 4-3, and began to take control late in the first half. UMBC made it to halftime unscathed, but the Seawolves broke on top just 3:57 into the seconc half. UMBC could not clear Michael Palacios' free kick and Adam Ciklic pounced on the loose ball at the eight-yard line and rifled a shot past Retriever netminder Steve King.
Stony Brook continued to threaten and got the controversial insurance marker in the 65th minute. This came off a corner kick, as again the Retrievers allowed the ball to reach the turf. Mahamadou Simpara appeared to bat the ball down with his hand, but knocked the loose ball past King from point-blank range.
UMBC picked up the play in the final 20 minutes, but could not beat netminder Rich Skoblicki, who posted five saves, the best of which occurred in the 79th minute on a drive by Bryan Moffa.
King made four saves for UMBC, as UMBC fell to 0-3 on artificial turf this season.
The Retrievers hit the road again on Saturday, as they travel to Orono to face the Maine Black Bears.
