Baltimore - Junior forward Levi Houapeu (Watkins Mill) produced his second three-goal game of the season as host UMBC (12-3-0, 3-2-0 America East) clinched a spot in the America East playoffs with a 5-1 win over Albany (0-12-3, 0-5-1) at UMBC Soccer Stadium.
The Retrievers can finish no worse than fifth in the league, which features a six- team playoff format. UMBC could move up as high as second place as they have a pair of road games at Hartford and Binghamton next week.
Houapeu became the first Retriever to post multiple hat tricks in a season since Derek McElligott had a pair in 2001. His seven-point game (3 goals, 1 assist) is the most for a Retriever since McElligott tallied seven vs. Central Connecticut on Sept. 28, 2001.
Junior midfielder Dustin Dzwonkowski (Archbishop Curley), who scored the game- winning goal at Boston on Wednesday, added the other two UMBC goals. Sophomore forward Andrew Bulls (McDonogh), the nation's leading scorer, had a career- high three assists.
Houapeu opened the scoring in the 16th minute, as he took a short pass from Bulls inside the box, and knocked the ball past Albany netminder Adrian Foncette and inside the far left post from eight yards away. Freshman midfielder Mark Lubetkin (Livington, N.J.) drew the second assist on the goal.
Dzwonkowski and Houapeu would give UMBC a 3-0 lead before halftime on goals less than three minutes apart. At the 31:36 mark, Houapeu long pass from right to left found Dzwonkowski and the rangy midfielder cut inside the box and beat Foncette inside the near right post from 12 yards away. Then, at 34:09, Bulls' brilliant long diagonal pass from left to right led a dashing Houapeu, who drilled a shot into the left corner from 11 yards out.
Houapeu completed the hat trick in the 58th minute, as he converted John Paul Waraksa’s (Media, Pa.) pass, which glanced off a defender to the UMBC forward 12 yards from the goal. His previous three-goal game occurred on Sept. 19 in a 3-0 win over Drexel.
In the 71st minute, Albany junior midfielder Ian Peach prevented the shutout as he pounced on a loose ball which could not be controlled after a Great Dane corner kick.
UMBC would answer in the 82nd minute, as Dzwonkowski scored from nine yards away on the left wing, producing his first career two-goal game.
The Retrievers cranked off 20 shots in the game to the visitors' 11. Freshman netmdiner Phil Saunders (Perry Hall) made one save, while allowing Peach's goal and sophomore Miguel Calderon made a save in the final 20 minutes of action. Foncette had six stops for Albany.
Bulls now has 40 points on the season (15 goals, 10 assists), while Houapeu, who entering the week third in the nation in scoring, has 39 points (14 goals, 11 assists).
UMBC travels to Hartford to take on the second-place Hawks on Wednesday.
