BALTIMORE- UMBC battled No. 16 Towson evenly through 43 minutes, but the visiting Tigers went on a late 5-1 run and defeated the Retrievers, 11-8, at UMBC Stadium.

UMBC (2-1) dropped its first decision of the season, while the Tigers (1-2) won for the first time after losses to nationally-ranked North Carolina and Georgetown.

Junior midfielder Kristen Bilney (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron) led the Retrievers with three goals, while junior midfielder Shannon Harkey (Purcellville, Va./Loudoun Valley) and freshman Sam Nolan (Fallston, Md./Fallston) scored two goals apiece.

UMBC outshot Towson, 31-23, including 23-12 in the second half.

Bilney gave UMBC its lone lead of the game as she scored nearly five minutes into the game. But the Tigers won the ensuing draw and tied the game ten seconds later.

The Tigers took a 4-2 lead at the break, but Nolan scored her first career goal just 65 seconds into the stanza to bring the Retrievers to within one. Towson would take a pair of two-goal leads, but Bilney scored her third of the day on a free position shot at the 9:19 mark and Nolan tallied a man-advantage goal at 11:32 to tie the contest at 6-6.

But TU senior midfielder Kelly Custer, who led all players with four goals, broke the draw on a free position goal just two minutes later. Towson would take an 8-6 lead, but Harkey gave the hosts hope by countering with a hard, low shot for a score with 10:16 remaining in the game.

But the Tigers wrested control for good with three straight scores before Harkey tallied UMBC's eighth score with 1:34 remaining.

UMBC senior netminder Kendall Mason (Lloyd Harbor, N.Y./Cold Spring Harbor) made seven saves for the Retrievers, while Towson goalie Kelsea Donnelly made eight of her ten stops in the second half.

The Retrievers return to action on Saturday, March 2 when they travel to Hamilton, N.Y. to face Colgate.