BALTIMORE – The UMBC men's soccer team vigorously halted its three-game slide, netting five goals in a 5-1 Homecoming victory over UMass Lowell before 1,450 chilled fans on Saturday evening.
The Retrievers earned their first conference win of the campaign and improved to 6-4-1 overall and 1-2-0 in America East. The River Hawks dropped to 2-6-3, 0-2-1.
Senior midfielder
Ryan Becher produced a six-point game, scoring twice and adding a pair of assists. Junior striker
Taylor Calheira added two goals and one helper, while senior midfielder
Jordan Ehart put away his first career goal in his 50th collegiate contest.
The Retrievers led, 2-0, at halftime, and built the lead to 4-0 in the 61'.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The hosts attacked from the opening whistle and were rewarded twice in a span of 3:22 midway through the first half. A UMBC corner kick bounded off a River Hawks defender and Becher's shot from 11 yards away deflected off Calheira's chest and into the net in the 22'.
- UMBC persisted and Becher flicked a deep throw in from off a few paces away from the left post back across the goal mouth. Ehart ran onto the ball and hit a bounce shot from nine yards away beyond a diving Loucas Costeas in the UML goal.
- Becher scored his 18th and 19th career goals in the early stages of the second half. He scored both goals in similar fashion, chipping balls from 11 yards from goal in the upper part of the net.
- UML's Borna Miklic ended the Retrievers' shutout hopes in the 64', but Calheira countered that goal with his sixth of the season. He headed in a cross from Ismailcan Usta, who had taken a pass from Jago Lott.
UMBC outshot UML, 26-9 and Costeas made eight saves in the River Haw net.
Quantrell Jones earned his 25th career win to move into fifth place on UMBC's all-time list.
The Retrievers step out of America East play when they take on Delaware in Newark on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 7:00 p.m.
