Burlington, Vt.- A shaken UMBC men's soccer team dropped a 4-1
decision in the regular season finale at Vermont, but received good
news after the game as senior midfielder Andy
Streilein (Rockville, Md.) was released from a Vermont
hospital and will subsequently travel home with the team.
Streilein was involved in a collision with a Vermont player and
suffered a head injury just five minutes into the contest.
UMBC (7-7-3, 4-3-0), the defending America East champions, will
be the No. 4 seed in the America East Tournament and will host No.
5 Hartford on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Retriever Soccer Park. No. 3
Vermont (4-2-1, 9-6-1) will entertain No. 6 Albany in the other
quarterfinal match.
"We are all disappointed by the result, but relieved that Andy
has been released from the hospital," head coach Pete Caringi
said. "It keeps things in perspective. Our goal now is to get our
whole team back, hopefully healthy, and play a great quarterfinal
game of soccer."
UMBC starting sophomore central defender Daniel
Welsh (Fife, Scotland) missed his second consecutive game,
serving a suspension for a red card received at Hartford on Oct.
22.
Vermont took the lead in the game in the
15th minute, as Zach Paul headed in a Juan Peralta
cross.
The Catamounts led, 1-0, at intermission and played the final 31
minutes of a game up, as UMBC sophomore defender Travis
Dennis (Bowie, Md.) was assessed red card for a tackle
outside the penalty box. Vermont doubled the lead just three
minutes later as Peralta's corner kick was headed in by Salvatore
Borea.
But short-handed UMBC cut the deficit to 2-1 when senior
midfielder Andrew
Bulls(Millersville,Md./McDonogh) took advantage of a poor clear
by Vermont and scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season
with 11:13 remaining.
But the pressing Retrievers allowed two goals in the final seven
minutes of play and dropped their fourth straight to conclude the
regular season.
UMBC senior netminder Dan
Louisignau (Wilmington, Del.) was steller in the cage,
making six saves to keep the Retrievers within striking distance
until the latter stages of the game.
