Albany, N.Y. – The UMBC women's soccer team battled the entire evening but fell to the host UAlbany Great Danes, 4-0, in an America East Conference contest on Thursday evening at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium.
Sophomore forward Selma Elverum scored twice and added an assist to lead the Great Danes (4-7-2, 1-3-2 AE) to their first conference victory of the season.
Elverum broke the ice in the 14
th minute as she beat UMBC starting goalkeeper
Sara Gavagan (5 saves) after chasing down a long feed from classmate Charlotte Pawli. Gavagan, a sophomore, attempted to make a diving save to her left but Elverum's low shot from ten yards out landed inside the far post.
The Retrievers (3-11-2, 0-4-2 AE) nearly got the equalizer in the 20' as junior forward
Izzy Binko sent a dangerous cross in front of the net for graduate student forward
Natasha Munro. But the pass was just a little too high for Munro, who was unable to get her head on it.
The hosts added another first-half tally in the 32nd minute when senior forward Brooke Pickett stuffed in a rebound. Sophomore midfielder Madison Hnis lofted a shot on goal from the left sideline and Gavagan re-directed the attempt off the bottom of the crossbar. Pickett was all alone to pick up the loose change for her first goal of the season.
UMBC had a golden opportunity in the closing seconds to cut the lead in half right before the break but were unable to capitalize. Defender
Alyssa Clearfield sent a header on target following a corner kick and the rebound after the initial save by UAlbany sophomore goalie Gabriella Terranova (4 saves) eventually found its way to sophomore forward
Abby Joseph. Joseph had an open net from point-blank range but her shot hit the inside of the near post and somehow did not cross the goal line.
Elverum struck again just three minutes into the second half after the Retrievers committed a turnover near midfield. The Great Danes found themselves with a 3-on-1 opportunity and Elverum took a feed from Olivia Piraino and slid a 25-yard winner past a charging
Morgan McGruder, who started the final stanza.
Freshman forward
Payton Schenning had UMBC's best opportunity of the final half when she sent a well-struck shot just wide of the far post from 25 yards out in the 63'.
The hosts then put the game out of reach on a tally by senior defender Lola Cotter following a cross to the center of the box from Elverum.
UAlbany took 16 shots in the contest and allowed the Retrievers 11 tries. UMBC attempted five corner kicks compared to just two by the hosts.
UMBC will honor their four seniors prior to Sunday's home game against UMass Lowell at Retriever Soccer Park. The first whistle is set for 1:00 p.m.
