UMBC

The battle for bragging rights in Baltimore-area college soccer in 2009 will take place on Tuesday night as the undefeated UMBC Retrievers (7-0-0) entertain the Loyola Greyhounds (3-2-1) at UMBC Stadium. Kick-off time is set for 7:00 p.m. Retriever fans are encouraged to wear black and free pizza and rally towels will also be on hand.

Both the Retrievers and Greyhounds edged Towson by identical 1-0 scores last week and both squads also claimed one-goal victories over Mount St. Mary's earlier in the campaign. The game is also available on www.umbcretrievers.tv with Paul Mittermeier on the call.

Junior midfielder Levi Houapeu (Germantown, Md./Watkins Mill) and freshman goalkeeper Phil Saunders (Perry Hall, Md./Perry Hall) were named America East Conference Men's Soccer Player and Rookie of the Week respectively, for games ending Sept. 20, 2009.

Houapeu scored all three goals in Saturday's 3-0 triumph over visiting Drexel. He recorded UMBC�fs first three-goal game since Kevin Mezzadra scored three times in a home win over Howard on Sept. 20, 2006. Houapeu scored in the ninth, 25th and 77th minutes of the game. He now has eight goals and six assists on the season and is ranked third in the nation in scoring with 3.14 points per game. Houapeu was also named to College Soccer News' Team of the Week (Sept. 20).

Saunders posted back-to-back shutouts in wins over CAA foes Towson (1-0) and Drexel, UMBC's first consecutive shutouts since Oct. 20 (2-0 over Albany) and Oct. 23 (4-0 at Howard) since 2008. He made a pair of key stops in the final minutes vs. Towosn, including a denial of forward Tommy Appel-Schumacher's header from close range, as he parried it over the cage in the 85th minute. Saunders has three shutouts on the season and has lowered his goals against average to 0.44. He is ranked 21st in the country is goals against average (0.44) and 20th in save percentage (88.5%).

Dawg Bytes

The Retrievers are the lone 7-0-0 team in the nation and are ranked 27th by College Soccer News' UMBC is ranked third in the Northeast region. UMBC junior forward Levi Houapeu recorded the Retrievers�f first three-goal game in three years, leading the Retrievers to a 3-0 win over Drexel before 1,045 fans at sun-drenched UMBC Soccer Stadium. The team's seven wins to start a season breaks the school Division I record of the 1999 team, which played Fairleigh Dickinson to a 1-1 draw in the seventh game of the season were 6-0-1 after seven games. That squad went on to the nation's best record of 19-1-2. Houapeu, who was held off the scoreboard for the first time this season in Wednesday's 1-0 win over Towson, struck quickly in the ninth minute of play and added goals in the 25th and 77th minutes. He recorded UMBC's first three-goal game since Kevin Mezzadra scored three times in a home win over Howard on Sept. 20, 2006. Houapeu was named to College Soccer News' Team of the Week (Sept. 20). The win was UMBC's first-ever over Drexel, which leads the all-time series, 4-1-1. Sophomore forward Andrew Bulls did not score a goal for the first time this season, but his assist on Houapeu's final goal kept his scoring streak alive at seven. Freshman goalkeeper Phil Saunders posted back-to-back shutouts in wins over CAA foes Towson and Drexel, UMBC's first consecutive shutouts since Oct. 20 (2-0 over Albany) and Oct. 23 (4-0 at Howard) since 2008. Saunders has three shutouts on the season and has lowered his goals against average to 0.44. Bulls scored his ninth goal of the season in the win over the Tigers. Bulls scored goals in UMBC's first six games and his nine goals in six games was the fastest to get to that plateau in UMBC's Division I history. UMBC has outscored its opponents, 23-4, through seven games this season.

Series Notes

Loyola holds a 18-1-2 lead in the series, with UMBC's lone win (2-1)occuring in the Battle of Baltimore Tournament at Towson in 2003. Loyola won the prior meeting, 1-0, on Cold Spring Lane in 2007, and last year's match at UMBC was postponed due to torrential rains moments after kick-off.

The Greyhounds

Loyola was buoyed by the return of junior forward Phil Bannister, who scored the lone goal in the Greyhounds' 1-0 win over Towson on Saturday. Senior forward Jamie Darvill leads Loyola with a pair of goals and three assists on the campaign. The Greyhounds have not scored a second half goal (1 OT goal) this season and are 0-1-1 on the road to date.

Weekly Honors

Houapeu earned recognition as the America East Player of the Week and was a member of College Soccer News' Team of the Week for games ending Sept. 20. Saunders, who is second in America East play in goals against average (0.44) and shutouts (3) was tabbed the league's Rookie of the Week.

National Leaders: (as of Sept. 20, 2009)

Scoring Offense: 1. UMBC 3.29 goals per game Scoring Defense: 22. UMBC (0.57 goals per game) 1. Louisville (0.16) Points per game:  1. Andrew Bulls, 3.29 ppg; 3. Levi Houapeu, 3.14 ppg Goals per game:  1. Andrew Bulls, 1.29 gpg (9) 5. Levi Houapeu, 1.14 gpg (8) Assists per game:  6. Levi Houapeu 0.86 apg (1. David Estrada, UCLA, 1.25 apg) 15. Andrew Bulls, 0.71 apg Save Pct. 20. Phil Saunders (.885) (1. Alex Fait, Sacred Heart, .952) Goals Against Avg. 21. Phil Saunders (0.439) (1. Andre Boudreaux, Louisville, 0.161) 2009

Honors Won

Andrew Bulls- NSCAA Player of the Week Sept. 1-7 College Soccer News�f Player of the Week;  College Soccer News' Team of the Week America East Conference Player of the Week; adidas Kick-Off Classic Most Valuable Player Sept. 8, 10; America East Conference Player of the Week Sept. 8-13; Soccer America's Team of the Week; Levi Houapeu- adidas Kick-Off Classic All-Tournament Team Sept. 8, 10; College Soccer News' Team of the Week Sept. 14-20; America East Conference Player of the Week. Phil Saunders- America East Conference Rookie of the Week Sept. 14-20. Vince Savarese- adidas Kick-Off Classic All-Tournament Team Sept. 8, 10. Chris Williams- adidas Kick-Off Classic All-Tournament Team Sept. 8, 10.

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�fs and St. Francis and allowed only one goal, compared to two allowed by the Retrievers. Andrew Bulls, 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). Levi 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. His 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. Tonight's game will be the first regular season night game at home for the Retrievers since 2005 when they lost to Lehigh, 1-0.UMBC hosted Binghamton (4-1 Bearcats' win) in an America East semifinal contest under the lights in the 2005 campaign.

RECORD SITUATIONS At Home: 5-0-0 On Road: 0-0-0 In Overtime: 0-0-0 Neutral: 2-0-0 On Grass: 7-0-0 On Artificial: 0-0-0 Day Games: 7-0-0 Night Games: 0-0-0 On Tuesday: 1-0-0 On Wednesday: 1-0-0 On Thursday: 1-0-0 On Friday: 1-0-0 On Saturday: 2-0-0 On Sunday: 1-0-0 When Scoring First: 6-0-0 When Allowing First: 1-0-0 One Goal Games: 2-0-0 Decided by >1 goal: 5-0-0 Outshooting Opp.: 6-0-0 Outshot: 1-0-0 In September: 7-0-0 In October: 0-0-0 In November 0-0-0

• UMBC is just 1-8-2 in its last eleven night contests
• In its last 59 home games, the Retrievers are 37-9-13 (.737)
• Since 1998, UMBC is 56-27-15 (.648) vs. non-league competition