The UMBC men's soccer team opens their 2023 campaign on Thursday, Aug. 24 when they travel to Fairfax, Va. to take on the George Mason Patriots. The opening kick-off is set for 7:00 p.m. at George Mason Stadium and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The contest in Fairfax will mark the first time UMBC has opened a season as a true road team since 1998, when they won at Delaware, 2-1.
EARLY DAWG TALES
- The Retrievers return 19 letterwinners and welcome in eight newcomers for the 2023 campaign. UMBC posted a record of 10-6-2 in 2022 and qualified for the America East Championships for the fifth time in the past six seasons.
- UMBC senior forward Taylor Calheira (Towson, Md./Concordia Prep) is one of 32 forwards nationwide who have been selected to the United Soccer Coaches 2023 NCAA Division I "Forwards to Watch." He finished the 2022 season tied for fifth nationally with 1.71 points per game and was named the America East Conference Striker of the Year.
- Graduate student Jordan Ehart (Baltimore, Md./Mount St. Joseph) is believed to be the first Retriever to participate in a "sixth season." The defender/midfielder kicked off his career in the fall of 2018, making 15 starts for UMBC. He suffered his second major knee injury while at UMBC and did not play in the fall of 2021.
The many faces of
Jordan Ehart -
https://umbcretrievers.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/jordan-ehart/8175
- Three other returning players earned America East All Conference honors in 2022.
- Lasse Kelp, Soph., Def.,– America East All-Rookie Team
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Alek Wroblewski, Sr., For,– America East Second Team
- Hans Nesheim, Sr., Def. - America East Second Team, All Academic Team
- Head Coach Anthony Adams will make his head coaching debut in Fairfax. Adams, UMBC, '97, spent the previous 26 years as an assistant/associate head coach under Pete Caringi, Jr., who retired in April 2023 after 32 years at the helm of the Retrievers.
- Pete Caringi III, '14, who will be inducted into the UMBC Athletics Hall of Fame in October, enters year No. 10 on the staff and is joined by another Retriever Hall of Famer, Brian Rowland, '99. Assistant coach Sam DeBone is beginning his 25th year in his role in working with the goalkeepers.
GENERALLY NOTABLE
- The Retrievers open their 10-match home slate and kick off a four-game homestand on Monday, Aug. 28 when they welcome Old Dominion. It's the only 7:30 p.m. start time of the season as the campus celebrates its "Move-In" Weekend with the annual Monday Night Futbol.
- UMBC will face three programs ranked in the United Soccer Coaches preseason Top 25. They welcome No. 20 Cornell (14-4-1, 2022) on Sept. 16, entertain No. 23 UNH (15-4-1) on Oct. 14 (Homecoming 2023) and travel to No. 12 Vermont (16-4-2) on Oct. 21.
- UMBC (34 votes each) and UAlbany were picked to finish tied for third in the America East Conference Preseason poll, voted on by the league's coaches. Defending league champion UNH (46) edged national quarterfinalist Vermont (45) for the top spot in the poll.
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A GLANCE AT THE PATRIOTS
- Mason struggled with a 2-11-2 overall record in 2022. The Patriots added 16 players for the 2023 season, featuring 7 freshmen and 9 transfers.
- Head Coach Rich Costanzo begins his second season after being named the Patriots' 11th men's soccer coach in program history last year.
THE ALL-TIME SERIES
- The all-time series is knotted at 7-7-1 and Mason holds a 5-3-0 advantage since both programs competed at the Division I level (1989, first meeting at DI). The home team has won all eight of those contests.
- UMBC and GMU met in four consecutive years (2012-15) and the teams split those contests.
- In the most recent outing, UMBC prevailed, 2-0, at Retriever Soccer Park in 2015.
UP NEXT
UMBC welcomes back its students on Monday, August 28 when Old Dominion visits Retriever Soccer Park. The match will get underway at 7:30 p.m.
