BALTIMORE- UMBC junior forward Pete Caringi
III (Perry Hall, Md./Calvert Hall) tied a school record with
four goals in a game as the Retrievers clinched a spot in the
America East Tournament with a resounding 7-1 victory over visiting
Hartford.
UMBC won its fourth straight game and improved to 9-4-4 overall
and 3-2-1 in league play, while Hartford fell to 7-8-1, 1-4-1.
Caringi equaled the mark of Ted Lawler, who netted four goals in
a 1995 game vs. UMES. He became the third player in the
country to score four goals in a game this season. The America
East's scoring leader entering the game now has seven goals in his
last two home appearances, eight in his last four contests and a
league-high 13 on the season.
"He has scored goals his entire life and is very confident right
now," head coach Pete Carnigi, Jr. said of his son. "It just seems
like everything he hits is going in."
The seven goals scored by the Retrievers is the most since they
also found the net seven times vs. St. Francis (Pa) in a 7-1
victory in October of 2000.
UMBC gradually gained control of the game as the first half wore
on. In the 38th minute, sophomore
midfielder Mamadou
Kansaye (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) sent a pass into the box
where it was knocked down by the hand of a Hawk defender. Caringi
took the ensuing penalty kick and his shot straight down the middle
eluded UH goalkeeper Viltsu Tuumi.
The Retrievers doubled the advantage on a terrific passing play
in the final minute of the half. Sophomore back Jordan Becker
(Pocomoke, Md./Pocomoke) worked a give-and-go with junior
forward Kadeem
Dacres (Rosedale, N.Y./Mercer County CC) and Becker's
serve from the left side found Carnigi, who headed it past Tuumi
from seven yards away with 26 seconds left in the half.
Senior back Liam Paddock (Worcestershire,
England/Chase Technology) made it 3-0 just 1:37 into the second
half, heading in a corner kick from Kansaye.
The Hawks kept coming at UMBC and capitalized at 49:00, when
freshman forward Javoni Simms redirected Rohan Roye's pass into the
far left corner of the net from close range.
But Caringi struck in the 62th and 70th minutes
to put the game away for the hosts. His third goal of the game came
after a steal by sophomore midfielder Stephen
Ho (North Potomac, Md./Wooton). Ho laid the ball off to
senior midfielder Milo Kapor (Toronto, Ont./Emily Carr),
who sent a through ball back to Ho. Caringi kicked in Ho's deft
centering pass from five yards out.
The record-tying goal was the result of a set play, as Caringi,
camped at the back post, headed in Kansaye's free kick.
Junior back Travis
Dennis (Bowie, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) and freshman
forward Michael
Scott (Fife, Scotland) each scored their first career
goals in the 80' and 83' minutes respectively to cap the
scoring.
UMBC has clinched at least the No. 3 seed for the championship,
which begins on Nov. 3 and could be No. 2 seed with a win Saturday
over Binghamton and a Stony Brook loss or tie at
Vermont.
"We were down two weeks ago, but I am proud of the way the guys
fought back," Caringi said of the four-game winning streak.
UMBC outshot Harford, 15-13 and Saunders was called on to make
six saves. Tuumi recorded a pair of stops for the Hawks.
