Women's Soccer Looks for Third Straight Victory on Sunday Versus Delaware

Dawgs Host Blue Hens at 1pm

UMBC earned a pair of America East Conference Weekly Awards on Monday afternoon. Senior goalie Sara Gavagan was named the Defensive Player of the Week while freshman defender Olivia Nardone earned Rookie of the Week accolades. It is the first set of honors for the duo. Gavagan recorded a .875 save percentage in two starts against Maryland and Iona. She made several acrobatic stops during the week. Nardone scored her first goal with a header in the 5-0 win over Iona and contributed to a defense that conceded only one goal in two games.
UMBC leads the America East with eight goals this season.
The Dawgs are also first in goals allowed per game (.40),
Kalli Williams leads the circuit in saves percentage (.923) and goals against average (.400).
UMBC's 14 points in the win against Iona are the most by any conference team in 2025.
The Retrievers are off to their best start since the 2022 season when they jumped out to a 4-1-2 mark.
Junior forward Grace Dunbar scored her first career goal with 13:12 remaining in the match, leading the UMBC women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over the Longwood Lancers in front of a record crowd of 1,708 fans at Retriever Soccer Park on Thursday evening.
Dunbar's goal was an impressive strike from 25 yards out, hitting just inches below the crossbar. Longwood goalkeeper Sara Curtis made a leaping attempt to stop the powerful shot, but the ball whistled just beyond her fingertips. The play was set up by sophomore midfielder Kristiana Kolega, who delivered a pass from the fifty-yard line to junior midfielder Emily Hiney. Hiney then found Dunbar, who was positioned in the center of the field. Both Kolega and Hiney earned their first assists of the season.
Amara Codd recorded three saves while playing the entire second half, earning her first win of the season. Graduate student Kalli Williams also performed well, making a game-high five saves in the first half.
Last Sunday, junior forward Payton Schenning scored a goal and added two assists as the UMBC women's soccer team overpowered the Iona Gaels, 5-0, at Retriever Soccer Park. Schenning's two assists were a career high.
UMBC scored a pair of goals within a 3:32 span midway through the opening half and never looked back.
The Dawgs received the only goal they would need on an own goal in the 22nd minute. Sophomore defender Gabby Larson sent a gorgeous cross in front of the net for freshman Cami Mink, and the ball was redirected into the back of the net by a Gaels' defender.
Just over three minutes later, former Iona Gael Payton Foster produced her first goal as a Retriever, putting in a deflection after a free kick by Schenning.
The hosts put the game away in the second half with three more tallies. The first came in the 55th minute as Schenning scored her first goal of the season. Freshman Zoe Brossman played the initial ball into the left corner for Mink, who sent a great cross to the far side of the goal for Schenning. Schenning volleyed the ball into the upper left corner to complete the play.
UMBC recorded its fourth marker in the 62nd minute as freshman defender Olivia Nardone leaped into the air to head in a corner kick off the foot of Schenning.
Senior midfielder Maddie Schepers added a penalty kick with 6:30 remaining to round out the scoring.
Senior Sara Gavagan played the first 45 minutes in goal and made five saves. Graduate student Kalli Williams made a pair of acrobatic saves in the second half.
The five goals are the most UMBC's scored since a 5-1 victory at Delaware State on October 7, 2021.

About Delaware

Delaware concludes its four game road stand with a trip to UMBC on Sunday.
The Fightin' Blue Hens are off to a historic start to the season. The last time they started out the season 4-0-1 was back in 2006.
Last time out, the Blue Hens had a strong second half effort to earn a 2-2 draw against former conference foe Towson on Tuesday.
Brooke Vogel recorded the first goal in the 52nd minute of the second half and Lilli Lubic tied the game in the 69th minute to help earn the draw.
Maggie Groh leads the Blue Hens in goals (3), assists (3) and points (9). She has registered a point in all three games of the first five games of the season.
Groh was the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week back on August 19 after scoring three goals and two assists in wins over Mount St. Mary's and Bucknell.
The following week, Sophia Hall was named the conference's goalkeeper of the week. She recorded back-to-back shutouts in wins over George Mason and Navy. Hall is one of two freshman to record back-to-back shutouts that weekend and is one of six freshman in the country to record multiple shutouts

Inside The Series

UMBC 4-12 all-time against Delaware.
The Blue Hens have won four straight matches.
UMBC is 3-6 all-time against Delaware in Baltimore.
The squads last met in 2021, a 2-0 victory for UD.
The Retrievers last win came in 2002, a 1-0 victory.

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Players Mentioned

#32 Sara Gavagan: GK; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#19 Emily Hiney: M; 5' 6"; Freshman

#13 Grace Dunbar: F; 5' 7"; Freshman

#14 Payton Schenning: F; 5' 7"; Freshman

#8 Zoe Brossman: M; 5' 4"; Sophomore

#0 Amara Codd: Goalkeeper; 5' 7"; Junior

#18 Kristiana Kolega: M; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#2 Gabby Larson: D; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#10 Maddie Schepers: M; 5' 8"; Senior

#27 Cami Mink: D; 5' 4"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#32 Sara Gavagan
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: GK

#19 Emily Hiney
: 5' 6"; Freshman
: M

#13 Grace Dunbar
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: F

#14 Payton Schenning
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: F

#8 Zoe Brossman
: 5' 4"; Sophomore
: M

#0 Amara Codd
: 5' 7"; Junior
: Goalkeeper

#18 Kristiana Kolega
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: M

#2 Gabby Larson
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: D

#10 Maddie Schepers
: 5' 8"; Senior
: M

#27 Cami Mink
: 5' 4"; Freshman
: D