UMBC history was made on Saturday, May 16, when two former Retrievers lined up against each other as starters in a Major League Soccer game in Austin, Texas.

The matchup featured Jon Bell of Austin FC and Taylor Calheira of Sporting Kansas City, both of whom earned starting roles in the match, when Sporting Kansas City secured a come-from-behind 2-1 victory at Q2 Stadium. Bell, a veteran defender, was making his 42nd career MLS start. Calheira, a first-year forward in MLS, was making his second career start, having also started in SKC's 3-1 win over the LA Galaxy on May 13.

Reflecting on their achievement, UMBC head coach Anthony Adams said, "Both Jon and Taylor played all four years at UMBC and believed in the program. They have both been rewarded, and it was ultra special to have them in the same starting lineup against each other on Saturday night. Our program continues to produce MLS-level players, and it will continue."

Bell, a defender, has made 62 career MLS appearances. He played two seasons with New England, one with St. Louis, and two with Seattle. He won the Supporters' Shield while with New England in 2021. He also won the Leagues Cup with the Seattle Sounders. Born in Rockville, Maryland, Bell has represented Jamaica internationally, with two previous appearances.

During his time at UMBC, Bell appeared in 56 games between 2016 and 2019. In 2018, he earned United Soccer Coaches All-Northeast Region First Team honors and was named to the America East All-Conference Second Team. The San Jose Earthquakes drafted Bell in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft, though he joined New England Revolution II in July 2020 and made his professional debut there.

Calheira became the 10th Retriever either drafted or signed by an MLS club since 2011 and recorded 32 goals and 16 assists in 61 career matches for the Retrievers from 2020 to 2023. Calheira was named America East Striker of the Year in both 2022 and 2023 after earning America East All-Rookie Team honors in 2020. He stands in eighth place on the school's all-time list in goals and concluded his tenure tied for seventh on UMBC's all-time points list with 79. The 2023 America East All-Academic Team honoree earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in just three and a half years.

Building on his collegiate accomplishments, Sporting Kansas City acquired the 23-year-old forward in a transfer from FC Tulsa in the USL Championship. Calheira began his professional career with NYCFC II in MLS NEXT Pro during the 2024 season, before moving to FC Tulsa for the 2025 season. Across both clubs, he tallied 38 goals and 10 assists in 69 matches prior to his arrival in Kansas City.

Further demonstrating his growth, the Baltimore, Md., native joined Sporting ahead of the 2026 season after an impressive debut campaign with FC Tulsa in 2025. He recorded 21 goals and 4 assists across all competitions that year as Tulsa finished atop the Western Conference with a 16-5-9 record and reached the USL Championship Final.

Calheira began his professional career with NYCFC II after being selected in the third round of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. During the 2024 season, his lone campaign with NYCFC II, he tallied 17 goals and six assists, earning MLS NEXT Pro Best XI honors and playing a pivotal role in the club's run to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16.