The UMBC men's soccer squad (5-2-1, 1-1-0 America East) returns to non-conference play on Tuesday, Sept. 28 when they host the Delaware Blue Hens (0-6-1). The opening kick-off is set for 7:00 p.m. at Retriever Soccer Park and the contest will be broadcast on the America East Digital Network.

The Retrievers' three-game winning streak was halted at UMass Lowell on Saturday. UML scored on a penalty kick with seconds left in the first half to snap a 1-1 tie and the River Hawks held on for a 2-1 victory.  

Junior midfielder Ryan Becher (Hummelstown, Pa.) scored a game-tying goal in the 37', his sixth of the season.  

HONORED

UMBC sophomore forward Taylor Calheira (Towson, Md./Concordia Prep) earned the America East Conference's Offensive Player of the Week honor on Sept. 20, as he registered three goals and two assists on the week. He added UMBC's first hat trick in seven seasons at Lehigh on Sept. 21 and has scored six goals and 14 points in his last four outings. Calheira played less than eight minutes at UML, leaving the game after receiving a blow to the mouth.

Becher earned #AEMSOC Offensive Player of the Week honors in Week 2 after a two-goal effort at Maryland.

DAWG BYTES

• UMBC has scored two or more goals in seven of its nine games on the season. The Retrievers and UNH are tied for the top spot in the America East 2.22 goals per game.  
• Calheira leads America East in game-winning goals (4) and is second in goals per game (.78) and points per game (1.9).
• After his two-assist effort at Lehigh, junior back Julian Conze (Telgte, Germany) leads America East with six assists.     
• Three players – Calheira (7-4-18), Becher (6-3-15), and Conze (3-6-12) are already in double figures in scoring and are ranked 2-3-5 in the conference in points per game.
• UMBC is 5-0-1 when Conze hits the scoreboard. As of Sept. 23, his six assists were tied for the most in the nation.
• Calheira's three-goal game at Lehigh was UMBC's third multi-goal game of the season. He recorded a two-goal game vs. Mount St. Mary's on Sept. 14 and Becher scored twice in the 4-3 loss at Maryland.
• Becher now has 11 career goals and 30 total points (11-8-30).
• Sophomore goalkeeper Jailon Gillespie (Laurel, Del.) has started five consecutive games in the net for UMBC. He made his first career appearance and start at LIU two weeks ago, posted his first win vs. Mount St. Mary's and registered his first career shutout (and the team's first on the season) vs. Hartford. He then blanked Lehigh, 3-0, making a career high eight saves.   
• UMBC is 2-0-1 in overtime this season.
• The shutouts over Hartford and Lehigh were the first back-to-back clean sheets since the first two games of the 2017 season.  
• Head Coach Pete Caringi, Jr., enters his 31st campaign at UMBC and now has a record of 307-193-77. At the start of the season, he was ranked 20th amongst active NCAA I coaches with the 302 victories and the most recent mentor to reach the 300-win level (Feb. 23, 2021 vs. GW) and 36th with a winning percentage of 59.9.
• Associate Head Coach Anthony Adams, '97, begins his 25th season, patrolling the sidelines with his former coach, while former Retriever All-American Pete Caringi III, enters his eighth.

A GLANCE AT THE BLUE HENS  

• Delaware brings a record of 0-6-1 into Retriever Soccer Park and has dropped two straight games after a 1-1 double overtime draw versus American on Sept. 14.
• In their most recent outing, Delaware fell at UNCW, 4-2, on Saturday, Sept. 25. Sophomore forward Carlos Fernandez gave UD a 1-0 lead in the 20', but the Seahawks answered three times to take control of the match. Freshman back Einar Hardarson scored early in the second half to cut the deficit to 3-2, but Delaware could not complete the rally.
• Delaware has been outscored, 19-5 this fall.
• Fernandez has two of the five UD goals and has added an assist.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES

• The Retrievers and the Blue Hens will meet for the 28th time with UMBC holding a 15-8-4 series advantage. In the last six meetings, UMBC has won two, lost one and tied three times.
• The last meeting, which took place in 2017, resulted in a 1-1 double overtime draw at Retriever Soccer Park.

UP NEXT

UMBC returns to America East action when they take on Vermont in Burlington on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 11:00 a.m.