Baltimore- UMBC senior midfielder Andrew
Bulls (Millersville, Md./McDonogh) scored the game's lone
goal and Retriever senior netminder Dan
Louisignau (Wilmington, Del.) tied a career-high with nine
saves as UMBC(2-0-1) edged Fairleigh Dickinson (2-1-0) ,
1-0, in the Holiday Inn Express BWI Classic played at Retriever
Soccer Park.
Bulls scored his 29th career goal and
14th career game-winning tally in the
13th minute of play. He had a direct kick from 15
yards from the goal line, but on a sharp angle from the left side
of the field. Bulls hooked his shot through some traffic and FDU
goalkeeper Jacob Lissek got a piece of it, but the ball crept over
the goal line inside the near post.
The preseason Hermann Award candidate now has 87 career points
(29 goals, 29 assists) and his 87 points tie former
teammate Levi Houapeu for fourth place on UMBC's all-time
scoring list.
UMBC took five of the game's first five shots over nearly 31
minutes, but the Knights would outshoot the Retrievers, 14-2 over
the final 59. Louisignau posted his third shutout of the season and
has not allowed a goal in 430 minutes, dating back to the first
half of the NCAA Tournament game at Princeton last season.
Louisignau also had nine saves last Oct. 2 in a 1-1 draw with
Binghamton. He has eight shutouts in 16 career starts for UMBC.
The Knights' best chance came in the
68th minute, when sophomore midfielder Liam Cahill
struck the post with a shot from 14 yards out. But FDU's
Tatenda Chimhanda picked up a red card in the
78th minute for taking Bulls down on a potential
breakway, and the short-handed Knights managed just two shots in
the final 12 minutes of play.
The Retrievers snapped a nine-game winless streak vs. their
former Northeast Conference rivals. UMBC won the first meeting in
1994, but were 0-6-3, including three overtime losses since the
last victory.
UMBC has only started one other season with three consecutive
shutouts when they also won a pair and tied one to open the 2003
campaign.
The Retrievers return home on Wednesday, Sept. 7 when they
welcome local rival Towson to Retriever Soccer Park.
