University of Maryland, Baltimore County women’s soccer will play two America East matches this week, visiting NJIT on Thursday, Oct. 1, before hosting UAlbany on Sunday, Oct. 4, at Retriever Soccer Park. UMBC enters the matches with a 7-3-2 overall record and a 1-1 mark in conference play, while NJIT and UAlbany are also 1-1 in America East.
Schedule
UMBC will visit NJIT at 7 p.m. Thursday in Newark, N.J. NJIT is 4-5-1 overall and is coming off a 2-0 loss at UAlbany after defeating New Hampshire in its conference opener.
The Retrievers will return home Sunday for a 1 p.m. match against UAlbany at Retriever Soccer Park in Baltimore. UAlbany is 3-5-1 overall and defeated NJIT 2-0 Sunday, with Lauren Villasin and Sydney Kofton scoring first-half goals.
UMBC Enters Week With Strong Numbers
UMBC has won seven games for the first time since 2014, when the team finished 12-4-3. The Retrievers rank 167th in the latest NCAA RPI rankings, the best mark in America East, and own a .667 winning percentage in conference play.
UMBC is 6-1-1 at home and leads the conference with 21 goals and 18 assists. The Retrievers rank third in America East in goals allowed at 1.25 per game and second with 6.00 shots on goal per game.
UMBC recorded 16 points against Fairmont State, including five goals and six assists. These totals are America East single-game highs. Brooke Clagett has five goals and three game-winning goals, while Zoe Brossman has four goals, two assists and 10 points.
Players to Watch
Clagett has scored game-winning goals against Mount St. Mary’s, American and Fairmont State. Delainey Proctor has three goals and two assists after scoring the first three goals of her career against Towson, Wagner and New Hampshire.
Amara Codd averages 4.17 saves per game and has a 1.25 goals-against average. Cami Mink, Regan Rubin, Hailey Ahmed, Proctor and Cece Price each have two assists.
NJIT’s Kirra Hyder and Paige Eckert have each scored three goals this season. Eckert also has two assists, Merle Hueser has three assists, and Penelope Krieger has a 1.09 goals-against average.
For UAlbany, Kofton leads the team with two goals, including one against NJIT. Claudia Volino has a 1.72 goals-against average over nine appearances.
Series History Against NJIT and UAlbany
UMBC has lost three straight matches against NJIT and is 2-1-1 in Newark. The Retrievers lost 1-0 to the Highlanders in Baltimore last season, when Mikayla Balio scored with just under four minutes remaining.
UMBC is 4-6-2 against UAlbany in Baltimore. The Retrievers defeated the Great Danes 1-0 in Albany last season, ending a 10-match winless streak against UAlbany. Grace Dunbar scored the game-winning goal 2:04 into the second half.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
UMBC enters the week with a 7-3-2 record and the best NCAA RPI mark in America East. Thursday’s match at NJIT gives the Retrievers an opportunity to end a three-match losing streak in the series, while Sunday’s home match offers a chance to build on last season’s win at UAlbany.
UMBC’s conference-leading goal and assist totals, 6-1-1 home record and defensive production provide important context for the two-match stretch. Clagett, Brossman and Codd are among the key players to monitor against NJIT and UAlbany.
Source: Original report
