A young UMBC men's soccer team (3-3-1, 2-2-1 America East) closes out the regular season with a playoff berth at stake, as they travel to Newark to take on the NJIT(3-4-1, 3-2-0) Highlanders on Friday, April 9, Kick-off time at Lubetkin Field is set for 7:00 p.m.

The Retrievers must record a win over the Highlanders to win Pod C and earn one of three automatic berths to the four-team tournament. The game will be broadcast on americaeast.tv.   

Last Time Out

UMBC freshman forward Taylor Calheira (Towson, Md./Concordia Prep) scored a late goal, but it was not enough, as the Retrievers fell, 2-1, to St. Joseph's in non-conference action at Retriever Soccer Park on April 2.

The game was the final home contest of the year and dropped UMBC's overall record to 3-3-1.

Calheira and classmate/linemate Spencer Hanks (Odenton, Md./Arundel) lead the Retrievers with two goals apiece.

UMBC started seven freshman in each of the last two games.

Q

Junior goalkeeper Quantrell Jones (Baltimore, Md./Kenwood) is ranked in the top three amongst America East goakeepers in shutouts per game (3/7, 1st), save percentage (80.0, 2nd ), goals against average (.945, 3rd) and saves per game (4.00, T1).   

Jones 10 shutouts in his career. After making a career-high nine saves in the opener vs. GW, he has been called upon to make only 19 stops in the last six games. His save of an Aki Solvason shot in the 72' at Stony Brook earned him No. 6 on the Sports Center Top Ten list on March 3.

Honored

Hanks, who scored both goals in the 2-1 win over Stony Brook, was named America East Conference Men's Soccer Rookie of the Week for the final full week of March. He joined Calheira to score a game-winning goal this spring and earn a league honor.

Calheira and Jones earned two of the three weekly honors from the America East Conference on March 1.  

Calheira earned Rookie of the Week honors, while Jones was tabbed Defensive Player of the Week.

Making his collegiate debut, Calheira struck off a corner kick in the 106' as the host Retrievers opened the 2020-21 campaign with a 1-0 double overtime victory over George Washington on February 23. Jones set a new career high with nine saves and recorded his eighth career shutout in the Retrievers' 1-0 double-overtime victory over the Colonials.

Milestone

Head Coach Pete Caringi, Jr.is the third coach in UMBC history to mentor a program for 30 or more seasons. He recorded his 300th is next victory on Feb. 27, as UMBC defeated George Washington, 1-0, in double overtime.

Foes Finally Dent the Net

UMBC opened the season by not allowing a goal for the first 260 minutes of action before NJIT converted on a penalty kick rebound. Binghamton became the first team to score the initial goal in a UMBC contest in the spring of 2021.

UMBC vs. NJIT and More on the Highlanders   

• UMBC lost the earlier meeting, 2-1, vs. NJIT on March 9
• Freshman Kyle Waggoner scored in the 40' to give the Retrievers the lead, but the Highlanders equalized on a rebound off a penalty kick in the 54' and got the game-winner in the 76'.
• UMBC outshot NJIT, 18-13, and put nine shots on goal.
• In the lone prior meeting, UMBC blanked NJIT, 10-0, in 2004
• This will be the first contest between the teams in Newark.
• NJIT has scored the most goals (17) and allowed the most (18) in America East
• The Highlanders have scored 11 times in the past three games, including AE wins over Binghamton (4-2) and Stony Brook (3-2)
• Regsan Watkins, who tallied the game-winner vs. UMBC, leads the league with 7 goals in 8 games. He scored all three goals in the win over the Seawolves on April 2.

Dawg Bytes

• The back-to-back shutouts of GW and Stony Brook were the Retrievers' first since the first two games of the 2017 campaign
• The Retrievers received 18 votes (30th-most) in Soccer Wire's Week 1 national rankings (March 2).  
• UMBC is still looking for its first goal scored on the road this season. They have only played a pair of road games, but drew with Stony Brook (0-0, 2ot) and fell at Binghamton (2-0).
• The America East Championships will be held April 15 and 17 at a single site, with the champion advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
• Jones and junior Jordan Ehart (Severna Park, Md./Mount St. Joseph), along with sophomore Julian Conze (Telgte, Germany) will serve as tri-captains for the 2020-21 campaign.