BALTIMORE- Defending national champion and fourth-ranked Loyola (3-1) broke open a tight contest with a 10-0 run in the second half and defeated UMBC, 21-9, in miserable conditions at Ridley Athletic Complex.

Senior attackman Matt Gregoire (Crofton, Md./South River) and freshman midfielder Pat Young (Ewing, N.J.) scored two goals apiece for the Retrievers (1-2).  

Cold, heavy rain and gusty winds persisted throughout the entire contest.

UMBC had its most productive first quarter of the season, scoring four goals on 11 shots. Loyola took leads of 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2, but Gregoire scored his second goal of the quarter, quickly converting a freshman attackman Nate Lewnes (Arnold, Md./St. Mary's) feed to knot the score at 3-all with 3:44 to play. Lewnes then gave UMBC its first lead when he finished a feed from junior midfielder Conor Finch (Westminster, Md./Boys Latin) with 23 seconds left and the Retrievers took a 4-3 lead into the second stanza.

After an early Retriever turnover led to a Loyola goal which tied the game at 4-4, Finch regained the edge for UMBC, scoring an unassisted score at the 2:02 mark of the period. But Loyola finished the quarter on a 4-1 run and went to the locker room with an 8-6 advantage.

The two teams exchanged scores early in the second half, with senior midfielder Dave Brown (Coopersburg, Pa./The Hill School) getting UMBC back to within 9-7 at the 12:19 mark of the third quarter.

But the Greyhounds scored eight times in the final 10:57 of the quarter and posted two more early in the fourth to decide the outcome.

Loyola outshot UMBC, 46-33 and won the battle at the X, 20-13. UMBC senior goalkeeper Adam Cohen (Arnold, Md./Severn) made six saves through the first 45 minutes of action.

UMBC faces No. 13 Fairfield in Connecticut on Saturday afternoon.