UMBC

Baltimore—Senior attackman Ryan Smith (Fallston, Md./Fallston/CCBC-Essex) scored a season-high four goals to lead sixth-ranked UMBC (8-2, 2-0 America East) to a convincing 13-4 victory over Binghamton (1-8, 0-2) in an America East contest played at UMBC Stadium.

UMBC has won five straight games and defeated Binghamton for the eighth straight time. This game, however, represented the largest margin of victory over the Bearcats, as two of the last four meetings have been decided in overtime.

Smith, an honorable mention All-American in 2008, suffered a torn ACL in the America East title game vs. Albany last season. He scored two goals each in February wins over Rutgers and Colgate, but had only scored three goals in his last six games and was the team’s seventh-leading scorer entering the contest. But after junior linemate Chris Jones (Martinsville, N.J.) put UMBC on top with an unassisted goal 59 seconds into the contest, Smith went to work.

He scored an unassisted goal at the 3:04 mark, then converted a brilliant Christian Daly (Dewitt, N.Y.) feed for an easy score just 53 seconds later. Junior attackman Matt Latham (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty) gave UMBC a 4-0 lead at the 8:20 mark before Binghamton’s Kevin Joy got the visitors on the board on quick feed from behind the goal off the stick of Andy Cook at the 10:50 mark.

But UMBC got that goal back as junior midfielder Kyle Wimer (Lancaster, Pa.) scored with 1:21 left in the first quarter. Wimer opened the second quarter by spotting Smith inside for the senior’s third score of the game and the teams split four second quarter goals to enter halftime with UMBC leading, 7-3.

The Retrievers broke the game open early in the third period as Smith started a 4-0 run with a goal, coming from behind the net, just 2:13 into the stanza. The run was capped by a highlight-reel score from senior midfielder Peet Poillon (Cranberry Township, Pa.), who caught a long clearing pass in front of the Binghamton bench, dodged several Bearcat defenders, and scored from close range to put the Retrievers in command, 11-3, with 1:19 to play in the third stanza.

UMBC senior netminder Jeremy Blevins (Cockeysville, Md./Calvert Hall) continued his outstanding play, as he led a defense which permitted only four goals for the second time in five days. He made 10 saves, allowing the four goals in 57:18. Binghamton’s Larry Kline was tested often, as UMBC outshot the Bearcats, 36-27, and the senior had 12 saves, allowing the first 13 UMBC scores in 56:33.

Jones continued his steady play with two goals and an assist and has four consecutive multiple-point games. Latham, the reigning America East Player of the Week, added a pair of goals, while Wimer and sophomore midfielder Bobby Stockton (Ponte Vedre, Fla.) each recorded a goal and an assist. Freshman Shane Ryznar (Crofton, Md./DeMatha) capped UMBC’s scoring with his first career goal. Cook was the lone multiple-point scorer for Binghamton with a goal and an assist.

UMBC faces Albany (2-0 America East) in a battle for first place in the conference next Saturday in Albany, N.Y.

Notes: The game set a UMBC single-game record as just one penalty was called in the contest… UMBC had no extra-man opportunities for the first time since March 22, 1990 vs. Michigan State… UMBC has won 11 straight regular season America East contests and is 25-4 all-time in league play…The Retrievers have held 23 of 29 league opponents to single digits in goals.