BALTIMORE –
Q: When is a draw a tremendous result?
A: When you rally from three goals down in the final 13 minutes to tie a defending league champion.

The UMBC men's soccer team appeared down and out as they allowed four goals in the first 67 minutes versus Navy, the 2022 Patriot League champions and current winners of three in a row.

But spearheaded by a two-goal, one-assist effort by senior forward Alek Wroblewski, the Retrievers scored three goals in a span of 6:06 to forge a 4-4 tie with the Midshipmen before 1,356 at Retriever Soccer Park.

The Retrievers nearly took a lead in the final minute, but Navy goalkeeper Pierce Holbrook used all of his 6'4" frame to nudge away Lasse Kelp's beautifully-struck free kick from 22 yards out.

UMBC moves to 5-2-3 overall, while Navy is now 5-4-2. The draw is the third consecutive between the two teams in the last three seasons.

"Our guys don't quit," said Head Coach Anthony Adams. "Anyone that has been around this program the last 30 years knows that we don't quit and our guys were no different tonight."

HOW IT HAPPENED  

• A clinical Navy side put home three goals during the middle stages of the first half, and Coach Adams substituted liberally at halftime, bringing in three players (goalkeeper Jay Gillespie, defender Dillon Nesteruk and midfielder Giuseppe Indelicato) that did not see any first half action.
• The energy shift was palpable, and Wroblewski started the rally five minutes into the stanza. He artfully wove his way through several Navy defenders and beat Holbrook with a 17-yarder inside the right post.
• With UMBC pressing, the Mids responded in the 67' to restore their 3-goal lead.
• But the Retrievers constructed a magnificent four-pass sequence and Wroblewski redirected Jordan Travers' left-side cross to the near post beyond Holbrook in the 78'. Will Forby drew the second assist.
• In the 81', Wroblewski drove the ball up the middle of the field and found senior striker Taylor Calheira on the right side. Calheira cut the ball back toward the middle of the field, where senior linemate Loc San deposited the feed into the right corner of the net.
• With the fans in a frenzy, UMBC got the equalizer with 6:45 remaining. Positioned deep in the box, San attempted to volley Travers' header, but the effort was blocked. Calheira then one-timed the rebound from 14 yards out through traffic and into the left portion of the net.

NOTES

• The two-goal effort by Wroblewski is the first of his college career.
• Calheira's goal was the 30th of his career and elevates him into a tie for tenth place on UMBC's all-time goal scoring list.    
• Wroblewski (2g, 1a), Calheira (1g, 1a), San (1g, 1a) and Travers (2a) all had multiple points for UMBC.
• The Retrievers outshot Navy, 21-10, and forced Holbrook to make nine saves.
• The four goals scored matches UMBC's season high, first recorded in the opening 4-3 win at Mason.

UMBC plays its last five regular season games in America East Conference competition, beginning with an Oct. 7 contest at UMass Lowell.