Box Score Norfolk, Va. – The visiting UMBC men's soccer team earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw against the Old Dominion Monarchs at ODU Soccer Complex on Friday evening. UMBC moved to 2-1-2, while the hosts now stand at 2-2-1.
"Our performance in the first half was far from our best, but we had a great second-half response on the road," said UMBC Head Coach
Anthony Adams. "This was a tough five-game stretch. We'll take a week to regroup, get healthy, and prepare for the next game."
Sophomore forward
Ryan Calheira delivered his third tally of the season off an assist from senior midfielder
Ismailcan Usta midway through the second half.
Old Dominion got on the board first with 4:55 remaining in the first half as the Monarchs converted a free kick from just outside the top left of the box.
The hosts were awarded the opportunity after sophomore defender
Jojo Ocran accidentally tripped Noah Madrigal, who had gathered a pass just two feet outside the box. The Retrievers set up a half-man wall and left an open space for their junior keeper,
Emigdio Tormo Lopez, to have a clear view of the kick. However, Andrew Bennett fired a low shot through the open space towards the right corner, and Lopez could not handle the attempt. Lopez went to the ground to try to make the stop, but the ball snuck under his hands and trickled over the line just inside the far post.
The Retrievers did not have a shot attempt in the opening half but were energized in the final forty-five and finally got the break they needed after failing to get a shot off for nearly the first 60 minutes of play.
Usta delivered a nice touch pass to Calheira, who was free just outside the center of the box. Calheira took a dribble and then drilled a shot that deflected off a defender and was re-directed into the lower left corner of the net with 22:09 left. ODU keeper Michael Statham (three saves) had no chance to make the stop as he was caught leaning in the opposite direction.
Old Dominion outshot the Retrievers by a 20-7 margin and took all seven corner kicks in the match.
Tormo Lopez made a career-high 12 saves for the Retrievers, who will host Saint Joseph's next Friday evening at Retriever Soccer Park.
The series has now featured three ties in the last four meetings.
