UMBC

The UMBC men’s soccer team (6-0-0) faces a tough task on Saturday as they attempt to win a school-record seven straight games to start a season. The Retrievers host Drexel (4-1-0) at 1:00 p.m. at UMBC Soccer Stadium and the Dragons are 3-0-0 on the road this season and are 4-0-1 in five previous meetings against UMBC.

UMBC sophomore forward Andrew Bulls  scored in 39th minute and freshman goalkeeper Phil Saunders  made a couple of key stops down the stretch as the Retrievers improved to 6-0-0 with a 1-0 victory over local foe Towson (3-2-0) at UMBC Soccer Stadium.

Bulls, who entered the week as the nation’s leading scorer with 4.0 points per game, netted his ninth goal of the season and his fifth game-winning goal. UMBC tied a school Division I record with the 6-0-0 start, knotting the 1999 squad, which produced the nation’s best record of 19-1-2 ten years ago.

UMBC, which entered the game as the nation’s second-highest scoring team with 3.8 goals per game, managed just three first half shots against the Tigers, but the third found the net. Bulls was fouled 23 yards from the cage and his ensuing free kick went to the right of the four-man wall and just inside the right post, bouncing out of the reach of Towson netminder John Steele.

The Tigers would apply pressure late in the game and had two good opportunities in the closing minutes. Saunders knocked senior forward Tommy Appel-Schumacher’s header from close range over the cage in the 85th minute, and posted his second shutout of the season.

Bulls has scored goals in all six UMBC games to date and surpassed his team-leading total of eight goals in the 2008 season… He now has two goals in two career games vs. Towson… It was UMBC’s first 1-0 victory of the season and Towson’s first shutout suffered of the campaign… The Retrievers took a slim 12-11-3 series lead after the first match played at UMBC since the 1993 season… UMBC is ranked fifth (tied) in the Northeast region, while Towson entered the week ranked seventh (tied) in the South Atlantic.

National Leaders: (as of Sept. 13, 2009)

Scoring Offense:                        2. UMBC 3.8 goals per game    (1. Liberty, 4.0 gpg)                   

Points per game:                       1. Andrew Bulls, 4.0 ppg; 3. Levi Houapeu, 3.2 ppg

Goals per game:                        2. Andrew Bulls, 1.6 gpg (1. Matt Eliason 1.75 gpg)

                                                7. Levi Houapeu, 1.0 gpg

Assists per game:                      4. Levi Houapeu 1.2 apg (1. Bryan Burke, San Fran., 1.33 apg)

                                                12. Andrew Bulls, 0.8 apg

Series Notes 

Drexel holds a 4-0-1 series advantage over UMBC. Today’s meeting will be the first between the two teams in Baltimore since 1990. Last season, UMBC did manage a 0-0 double-overtime tie in Philadelphia. UMBC put nine shots on goal in the game, but all were repelled by the Dragon netminder.

The Dragons

Drexel is off to a strong 4-1-0 start, including a 3-0 record on the road. Senior midfielder Fabio Assumpção leads DU with three goals and eight points on the campaign. Freshman Malcolm LeBourne scored his first two career goals in Wednesday’s 2-0 win vs. La Salle. DU is outscoring its foes, 8-3, in the second half this season. Drexel was 6-7-5 in 2008. Like UMBC, Drexel has wins over St. Francis (Pa.), 2-1, and St. Joseph’s (4-1).

Other Notes

For the second consecutive year, UMBC won both games in its adidas Kick-Off Classic, but placed second to Navy… The Mids also defeated Mount St. Mary’s and St. Francis and allowed only one goal, compared to two allowed by the Retrievers… Nevertheless, UMBC’s 6-0-0 start is its best since the 1999 season, when the Retrievers opened at 6-0-0 before a 1-1 tie vs. Fairleigh Dickinson… That 1999 team would not lose (19-1-2) until an NCAA First Round setback (4-3 in overtime) at top-ranked Duke…

Junior forward Levi Houapeu converted on a penalty kick in the 77^th minute as UMBC (5-0-0) edged Mount St. Mary’s (1-3-0), 2-1, in the finale of the tournament… Sophomore forward Andrew Bulls scored his eighth goal of the season in the first half and earned the tournament’s Most Valuable Player honors…  Bulls has already surpassed his season total of a year ago with nine goals and 22 points… He became the first player in school’s Division I history to score nine goals in the first six games of a season… The NSCAA Player of the Week (Sept. 8) posted his third consecutive two-goal game in the 3-1 win over St. Francis (PA)… Bulls was named America East Conference Men’s Soccer Player of the Week for games ending Sept. 13, 2009, earning the league’s top honor for the second consecutive week. He also was named to Soccer America’s Team of the Week (Sept. 15).

Houapeu, who also earned All-Tournament team honors, assisted on all three UMBC in the 3-1 win over St. Francis (Pa.)… It was UMBC’s first three-assist effort since Powell Cucchiella posted four in a 10-0 win over NJIT in the opener of the 2004 campaign… Houapeu has five goals and six assists on the campaign, but was held off the scoreboard for the first time this season vs. Towson… Six helpers are the most in a single season for UMBC since Matt Watson amassed seven in 2005… A pair of UMBC defenders, junior Chris Williams and sophomore Vince Savarese  also were named to the All-Tournament team… Freshman midfielder Milo Kapor scored his first collegiate goal (85’) in the win over the Red Flash, just 29 seconds after Bulls’ second goal of the game… UMBC hosts Loyola on Tuesday evening under the nights at UMBC Soccer Stadium… It will be the first night game at home for the Retrievers since 1999.