Newark, NJ. – The visiting UMBC women's soccer team scored on an own goal in the 78' and went on to blank the NJIT Highlanders, 1-0, Thursday evening on rain-soaked Lubetkin Field.

The Retrievers improved to 5-5-4 and 1-2-2 in the America East Conference while the hosts fell to 3-7-5 (0-4-1 AE).

Senior goalkeeper Morgan McGruder (Overland Park, Kan., Blue Valley North) was terrific all evening and made a career-high 13 saves to pick up her league-leading seventh clean sheet of the campaign.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• UMBC had the first opportunity of the contest just 1:30 in as junior forward Meghan McKye (Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Northern Secondary School) gathered a nice cross by senior midfielder Caroline Koutsos (Boyds, Md., Our Lady of Good Counsel) and fired a shot from the center of the box that was turned away by NJIT netminder Molly Saylor.
• NJIT was presented with a golden opportunity in the 11' when Kelsey Ramos just missed over the center of the crossbar from point-blank range following a corner kick.
• The Retrievers recorded their only other chance of the opening half in the 16' when Koutsos broke free down the center of the pitch and struck a left-footed laser from 15 yards out that was stopped by Saylor, who was forced to make a diving stop to her left.
• The Highlanders nearly broke through with just under six minutes left in the period as Aleesha Deshmukh narrowly misfired just over the center of the crossbar from 15 yards out.
• Sophomore back Lauren Reid (Denver, Col., Thomas Jefferson) saved the day for the Dawgs with a tremendous heads-up play with 17:30 left in the contest. Deshmukh sent a dangerous free kick from just outside the right side of the box directly in front of the goal. Briana Andreoli collected the loose ball and her initial shot was deflected to Sydney Watson, who was free along the left side of the goal line. Watson tried to tap in the loose change, but Reid was there to clear the ball just before it crossed the line.
• The Black and Gold produced the game-winner with 12:16 remaining on an own goal off a throw in deep in NJIT territory. Koutsos lobbed a service towards the goal and Saylor let the ball get over her head, leaving her out of position. The ball came down directly off the head of a defender and was directed straight into the lower left side of the open goal.

NOTES

• The Retrievers moved into sixth-place and sole possession of the final America East playoff race as they picked up their fifth point.
• McGruder has recorded double-figure saves in consecutive contests for the first time in her career.
• NJIT outshot the Retrievers by a 20-8 margin and attempted six corner kicks compared to UMBC's two attempts.

UP NEXT
The Retrievers travel to UMass Lowell at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.