Easton, Pa. – UMBC jumped out to a 4-0 first quarter lead and maintained at least a three-goal margin the rest of the way, as the Retrievers defeated host Lafayette, 13-8, at Fisher Stadium.

Senior attackman Nate Lewnes (Arnold, Md./St. Mary's) continued his scoring spree since returning from illness four games ago. Lewnes led a balanced Retriever attack with five goals and one assist and has amassed 20 points in those four contests.

Freshman attackman Jack Andrews (Arnold, Md./St. Mary's) and sophomore midfielder Max Haldeman (York, Pa.) also had career-best efforts. Andrews scored four goals, including three first-half tallies, while Haldeman amassed his first career four-point day, tallying two goals and adding two helpers.

Junior attackman Eric Joseph led Lafayette with two goals and one assist.

It was Haldeman who got UMBC untracked early, as he tallied a pair of unassisted scores at the 1:18 and 4:29 marks of the first stanza. Andrews and Lewnes completed the first quarter scoring and the Retrievers built the lead to 5-0 when Andrews scored on a fast break after a caused turnover and first career assist from freshman LSDM Tomas Rodriguez (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.).

The Leopards would get on the board for the first time 16 seconds after Andrews' goal, but the Retriever freshman completed his hat trick with UMBC's first man-down goal of the season at the 3:38 mark of the stanza. Lafayette narrowed the gap to 6-2 with 44 seconds to play in the half, but Retriever senior middie Jack Gannon (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) answered with just six seconds remaining to send UMBC to the half with a 7-2 lead.

Lafayette outshot UMBC, 19-17, in the first 30 minutes, but Retriever junior netminder Ruston Souder (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) stopped seven Leopard shots.

The hosts would make their lone two-goal surge in the first 65 seconds of the third quarter, getting within 7-4 in rapid fashion. A Lewnes goal on a feed from junior attackman Max Maxell (Hamburg, N.Y.) stemmed the tide at the 4:35 mark, but Lafayette scored the final goal of the quarter to tighten the score to 8-5 after 45 minutes.

But UMBC outscored Lafayette, 5-1, in the first 11:25 of the fourth quarter to end the suspense. Freshman midfielder Ryan Baker (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) lit the spark with an extra-man goal on Lewnes' lone assist of the day 3:14 into the period, and then Lewnes took control, scoring twice in a span of 1:39 to give the visitors a comfortable 11-5 lead.

In scoring a season-high 13 times, UMBC (2-6) snapped a six-game road drought, which dated back to February of the 2015 campaign. Lafayette (1-8) fell for the seventh consecutive time in 2016.  

Maxwell added three assists and now has 50 career helpers in 36 games.

In his second start of the season, Souder (2-1) continued his outstanding play, making 13 saves, while allowing only six goals in 56:35. Rodriguez and sophomore midfielder Mason Witzler (Reisterstown, Md./St. Paul's School) led UMBC with four ground balls and two caused turnovers each.

UMBC forced 11 of Lafayette's 18 miscues. The Leopards won 17 of 24 draws, but UMBC drew with the hosts at 35 ground balls each. Lafayette outshot UMBC, 40-35, but 14 of those attempts occurred in the fourth quarter as the Leopards desperately attempted to rally.

Lewnes now has registered 12 career games with three or more goals and has scored 92 times in 48 career outings.

UMBC returns to America East play one week from Saturday, as they host the Hartford Hawks on Saturday, April 9. The opening face-off is slated for noon.