Box Score Villanova, Pa.-- UMBC men's soccer fell, 5-2 to the Wildcats on Saturday afternoon at Villanova. The Retrievers got goals from seniors Sammy Kahsai (Hyattsville, Md./Northwestern) and Tom Paul (Stalybridge, Cheshire, England) in the loss that drops the team to 2-1 on the year.
The Retrievers got the scoring started with a goal from Kahsai in the 25th minute. UMBC earned a penalty kick, and Kahsai slotted it home to put UMBC in front 1-0. The Wildcats would threaten just minutes later, but freshman keeper Ciaran O'Loughlin (Birkenhead, England) made a pair of saves to keep the lead intact.
However, Villanova would respond just before the half, scoring in the 42nd minute on a Andreas Bartosinski shot to make it 1-1 at the half.
Both sides had opportunities early in the second half, but it was the Wildcats that struck first, getting a goal from Yusuf Cueceoglu in the 66th minute to take a 2-1 lead. Cueceoglu would get another goal just six minutes later to increase the Villanova lead to 3-1 with just under 20 minutes to go.
Tom Paul cut the Villanova lead to 3-2 with his first goal of his career in the 76th minute. Paul collected a pass from freshman Alejandro Arbelaez (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) and placed it home.
O'Loughlin came up big just second later, stopping a penalty kick, but the rebound went wide and Bartosinski slotted it home to make it 4-2 Wildcats. They would add another goal with four minutes to go to take the match 5-2 on Saturday.
O'Loughlin made a career best six saves in the match on 11 shots faced. Kahsai and sophomore Tre Pulliam (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) recorded three shots each, with one going on goal.
The Retrievers are back in action next Saturday, Sept. 9 when they travel to West Long Branch, N.J. to take on Monmouth at 7 p.m.
