BALTIMORE – In a game which featured numerous opportunities for both sides, UMBC (2-0-1) made the most of its chances and defeated Liberty (2-1-0), 3-0, in a men's collegiate soccer contest before an energetic crowd of 939 at Retriever Soccer Park.

Senior forward Taylor Calheira (Towson, Md./Concordia Prep) tallied his fourth goal of the year and added an assist, while senior goalkeeper Jay Gillespie (Laurel, Del.) made four outstanding saves to record his first shutout since 2021.

"The first 15 minutes they were all over us,": said Head Coach Anthony Adams. (Jay) made some plays and kept us in the game and then we started to get on track. Outside of the first five minutes of the second half, I felt pretty good and we scored three incredible goals."

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The visiting Flames attacked early and Gillespie repelled a in-tight chance by Leo Conneh in the 5'. Conneh also got off a pair of shots in a nine-second span in the 13', but the Retriever netminder dealt with those as well.
• Calheira nearly got the initial goal in the 34', but Flames' goalkeeper Blake Franzen made the stop.
• With only 3:10 remaining in the half, sophomore forward Robbie Ryerson sent Calheira down the right wing. Two Retrievers made runs into the box on Calheira's cross and it was newcomer Loc San (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) who headed it home for his first Retriever score.
• UMBC absorbed some early second half pressure before finding success on the counterattack. Tyler Harry drew a foul from behind in that fashion just outside the box in the 72'. From 21 yards senior William Forby scored a "professional goal", according to Adams, bending his shot past Franzen and inside the right post.
• Calheira iced the decision in the 74' with a stunning strike. We outdueled a Liberty defender for the ball at the left corner of the box, took two steps to his right and hit s shot from the 18 that curled just inside the far right post.

NOTES

• Gillespie recorded his third career shutout in the contest.
• Liberty outshot UMBC, 15-9, and took ten corners, but UMBC defended all ten expertly.

UP NEXT   

• UMBC hosts Howard on Sunrday, Sept. 3 at 7:00 p.m.