BALTIMORE- Senior midfielder Geaton Caltabiano (Lothian, Md./Mount St. Joseph) scored a pair of goals as 15 th-ranked UMBC opened its 2014 campaign with a 4-0 victory over Long Island in the opening game of the Doubletree BWI Classic held at Retriever Soccer Park.
Senior midfielder Stephen Ho (North Potomac, Md./Wootton) and senior back Jordan Becker (Pocomoke, Md./Pocomoke) added early goals as UMBC improved to 8-0-1 in its last nine opening contests.
Red-shirt freshman netminder Phil Breno (Mount Airy, Md./South Carroll) made three saves to record the shutout in his collegiate debut. Senior Kay Banjo (Upper Marlboro, Md./Largo/Towson U.) posted a pair of assists in his Retriever debut.
UMBC got on the board in the eighth minute, as Ho volleyed in a short cross from Banjo. Junior midfielder Malcolm Harris (Damascus, Md./McDonogh) initiated the play by leading Banjo down the right wing. The veteran chipped it in the box, where Ho redirected it home from 10 yards out.
Just over two minutes later, Becker, made an outstanding individual play. The left back stole the ball from a Blackbird defender just outside the box, beat him to the inside and knocked in 13-yard shot just inside the far right post.
Caltabiano scored his first goal in the 36th minute, heading a ball into an empty net, after Banjo's initial attempt was saved by a diving LIU netminder Logan Keys.
The Retrievers took the 3-0 lead into intermission and held possession for much of the second half. Caltabiano sealed the victory with a brilliant individual effort, as he stole the ball 25 yards away from goal, deked a defender to get inside the box, then avoided an onrushing Keys, before burying a 12-yard shot.
Caltabiano scored twice for the second time in his career. He tallied a pair of goals while competing for Loyola University in a contest versus St. Peter's in 2011.
UMBC, which had not played LIU since 2002, improved to 4-2-0 in six meetings with the Blackbirds. The Retrievers' unbeaten streak now stands at 11 (8-0-3), as they ended the 2013 campaign unbeaten their last ten contests.
The Retrievers outshot the Blackbirds, 21-4. Keys made eight saves as both goalkeepers worked all 90 minutes.
UMBC will welcome Sacred Heart in the finale of the classic on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
