BALTIMORE—Visiting Rutgers outscored five
consecutive first half goals and the Scarlet Knights improved to
3-0 by defeating UMBC (1-1), 12-5, in the home opener for the
Retrievers.
Junior attackman Kevin Hover led the RU attack with three goals,
while junior midfielder Will Mangan added two goals and one
assist.
Five different players scored for the Retrievers, but UMBC
managed to put only nine of 26 shots on goal.
UMBC junior attackman Rob Grimm (Black River, N.Y.)
equalized Rutgers' Michael Diehl's opening goal to knot
the game at 1-1 at the 3:51 mark of the first quarter. But Hover
scored with 2:27 remaining in the first quarter and gave the
visitors the lead for good.
The Scarlet Knights took advantage of back-to-back man-up
situations to grow the lead to 4-1 midway through the second
quarter. Mangan scored at the 9:32 mark, and Diehl posted his
second goal of the game 70 seconds later.
Rutgers lead, 6-1, at halftime, but UMBC managed to exchange the
first six goals of the half with the visitors and
sophomore Scott Hopmann's (Annapolis, Md./St.
Mary's) tally at the 9:26 mark of the fourth quarter brought
the Retrievers to within 9-4.
UMBC created a turnover while doubling the ball on
Rutgers' ensuing possession, but promptly committed a
give-away of its own. The Knights would take advantage of the
Retrievers' gambling defensive strategy as they scored three
times in a span of 1:38 to take command at 12-4 with 4:36
remaining.
Rutgers outshot UMBC, 30-26, and the Retrievers committed 24
turnovers. RU sophomore netminder Joseph Donnelly made four saves
to record the win. UMBC junior Brian McCullough (Garden
City, N.Y.) took the loss, allowing six goals and making two saves
in the first half. Sophomore Adam Cohen (Arnold, Md./The Severn
School) allowed six second half goals and made four stops.
The Retrievers won the first five draws of the game, but Rutgers
would capture 13 of the final 16 and dominated time of possession
over the final 45 minutes.
In addition to Grimm and Hopmann, sophomore
midfielder Scott Jones (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), freshman
attackman Matt Gregoire (Crofton, Md./South River) and
sophomore midfielder Neill Lewnes (Arnold, Md./South
River) tallied for UMBC.
Rutgers' win even the series at 7-7.
UMBC travels to Chapel Hill, N.C. to take on the North Carolina
Tar Heels on Saturday, March 5.
