UMBC

Printer Friendly Printer Friendly  Email This Page Email This Page
News Release

Men's Soccer Travels to Towson for Wednesday Beltway Battle

9/16/2008

The UMBC (3-1-1) and Towson (2-2-0) men’s soccer teams renew their rivalry when the Retrievers travel across the beltway to face the Tigers at the Towson Center Soccer Complex on Wednesday. Kick-off time is set for 4:00 p.m.

The two teams have faced each other just one time since 1994, as UMBC edged TU, 1-0 in the Battle of Baltimore Tournament in 2003. The Retrievers edged Loyola, 2-1, for the first time ever to win the crown in the second and final year of that tournament.

UMBC has won four of the last five meetings overall and holds an 11-10-3 advantage.

The Retrievers bring a three-game unbeaten streak into play on Wednesday, after Saturday’s 0-0 double-overtime draw at CAA rival Drexel. The Tigers, 2-0 on the road and 0-2 at home in 2008, produced a convincing 3-0 victory at Longwood, also on Saturday.

The Retrievers return home this Saturday to host La Salle.

Dawg Bytes:

Senior goalkeeper Steve King (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) recorded a season-high seven saves as he saw 21 Drexel shots, but was perfect in the 0-0 double overtime draw in Philadelphia on Saturday… It was King’s second shutout of the season and the 19th of his career… He is third on UMBC’s all-time list in shutouts and just surpassed the 200-save mark (204, seventh on all- time UMBC list) in his career… King saved a Drexel breakaway opportunity with just eight minutes left in regular to preserve the draw.

The game featured 37 shots (D-21, UMBC-16), but both netminders were brilliant in keeping the game scoreless… Freshman midfielder Andrew Bulls (Millersville, Md./McDonogh) had a team-high five shots, while senior midfielder Kevin Gnatiko (Montgomery Village, Md./Watkins Mill) and junior forward Andrew Gillis (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall) had three each.

Gnatiko, recovering from a knee injury, made his first start of the season, while senior midfielder Shondell Busby (Toronto, Ont./Dante Alligery/Francis Marion) and sophomore forward B.J. Quigley (Essex, Md./Archbishop Curley) each made their first appearances of the season, as both returned from the injured list. It was UMBC’s first-ever result vs. the Dragons, as Drexel had won the previous four encounters.

Andrew Bulls leads UMBC in scoring with six points (two goals, two assists) through five games. He was named America East Conference Men’s Soccer Rookie-of-the-Week on both Sept. 7 and Sept. 14.

His brother, senior co-captain Dan Bulls (Millersville, Md./Old Mill) and sophomore midfielder John Paul Waraksa (Media, Pa.) also have a pair of goals for UMBC.