PHILADELPHIA – UMBC men's lacrosse used a balanced attack and solid play on all levels of the field to defeat host Drexel, 12-7, in the opening contest for both teams.
Senior attackman Mike Doughty (Glenelg, Md./Glenelg) posted a hat trick and added an assist, while junior linemate Allen Hockenberry (Bowie, Md./St. Mary's) – making  his first career start – contributed two goals and two assists.

"I'm really happy for the players and assistant coaches to earn a win today," said Head Coach Ryan Moran. "I believe we prepared well throughout the week and were able to execute at a high level consistently for the entire game."

Drexel would take 1-0 and 2-1 leads in the first quarter, but Jordan Galloway and Taylor Bohanan equalized those marker for the visitors. With time winding down in the first frame, Mike Doughty threw a pass from behind the goal to Hockenberry, who was standing nine yards from the goal. He caught it right-handed, then wheeled and whipped a back-handed shot over the DU keeper's shoulder with one second left in the first.

The hosts would erase that 3-2 deficit and score a pair of second quarter goals to lead, 4-3. Junior midfielder Mateo Brown knotted the score at 4-4 with a bounce shot from the right alley with 5:23 remaining in the half. Then, the elder Doughty brother scored the first two goals of his natural hat trick in the final 3:22 of the half to give the Retrievers the lead for good. His goal with five ticks left on the clock make it, 6-4 Retrievers at the break.

UMBC junior face-off specialist Zach Dudley began to assert himself in the second half, winning seven of nine draws to give the Retrievers a large possession edge in the final 30 minutes. Mike Doughty completed his hat trick at the 9:03 mark of the third and his brother Kevin scored his first of the game with 2:12 remaining, but Drexel equalized both of those Retriever scores to stay within 8-6 in the final moments of the quarter.

Then, grad student attackman Brett Baucia ignited another key UMBC sequence, tallying a man-up goal with just 36 seconds remaining in the third and scoring unassisted just 86 seconds into the fourth quarter. Drexel's Luke Tomak, who led all players with four goals, got one back for the Dragons, but UMBC secured 10 of 12 fourth quarter ground balls and Bohanan (8:53 remaining) and Hockenberry (6:19) tallied to put the game out of reach.

Baucia produced three points with two goals and an assist a year after scoring four times versus Drexel.

UMBC junior goalkeeper Jayson Tingue made ten saves, including stopping seven of ten shots on goal in the final 30 minutes.

Dudley captured 9-of-15 draws, while junior LSDM red-shirt sophomore Colby Weishaar garnered a team-high five ground balls and shared caused turnover honors with junior defender Ethan Robinson. They each took the ball away three times as the Retrievers caused 10 of Drexel's 18 miscues. UMBC only suffered a dozen turnovers.

UMBC also won the battle on ground, 27-20, and cleared on 18-of-19 chances.

The Retrievers have now won three consecutive season openers. They will open the home slate on Friday, Feb. 24 when Mount St. Mary's visits UMBC Stadium at 6:00 p.m.