BALTIMORE- UMBC's dynamic scoring tandem of sophomore forward Andrew Bulls (Millersville, Md./McDonogh) and junior forward Levi Houapeu (Germantown, Md./Watkins Mill) rolled on as the Retrievers improved to 4-0-0 with a 3-1 win over St. Francis (Pa.) (1-3-0) in the nightcap of the first round of the 2009 adidas Kick Off Classic at UMBC.
For the third straight game, Bulls scored a pair of goals and now has seven goals and four assists through four contests. Houapeu assisted on all three UMBC scores in the victory and he now has six helpers to go along with four goals in the early part of the campaign.
UMBC's 4-0-0 start is the program's best since the 1999 season, when the NCAA-bound Retrievers were 6-0-0 en route to a 19-1-2 record.
The Retrievers scored in the 11th minute, as Houapeu centered a ball just before reaching the goal line on the right side, and Bulls gathered in and beat Red Flash netminder Darius Motazed from 11 yards out.
UMBC held that lead until six minutes remained, when Houapeu broke in on Motazed, and the goalkeeper managed to get a piece of the shot attempt, but Bulls ran onto the rebound and easily deposited it into an open net.
The Retrievers scored just 29 seconds later, when Houapeu tackled a ball away from a Red Flash defender and his pass went directly to freshman midfielder Milo Kapor (Woodbridge, Ont.). Motazed was well out of his cage, and Kapor scored his first career goal from over 30 yards away into the right corner of the net.
St. Francis' forward Patrick Fleming helped his side avert the shutout, as he scored on a free kick from just outside the box with 2:31 remaining.
UMBC outshot the Red Flash, 16-8, and Retriever netminder Phil Saunders (Perry Hall, Md./Perry Hall) had two saves to stay unbeaten on the season. Motazed made five saves in 90 minutes of work for the visitors.
Navy defeated Mount St. Mary's by the same 3-1 score in the first game of the day. UMBC will play the Mount at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, after Navy takes on St. Francis.
