Cara Palmer scored her first career goal in UMBC's 3-0 win over Stony Brook.

Stony Brook, N.Y.-The UMBC women’s soccer team (7-5-0, 1-1-0) notched its first America East Conference victory of the season Sunday afternoon, shutting out Stony Brook (3-9-1, 0-3), 3-0. The Retrievers have won six of their last eight games after a 1-3 start and move a season-best two games above the .500 mark.

Sophomore forward Jessica Young (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) scored UMBC’s first goal of the game at 21:14 on a break away after a corner kick. The goal is her team-leading 10th of the season and third in the last two games. The goal was the eventual game-winner, her second in as many games. Young has scored the game-winning goal in each of the Retrievers’ last five games.

UMBC took a 1-0 lead into halftime, and the score remained the same until the 51:24 mark, when freshman midfielder Cara Palmer (Odenton, Md.) converted a direct kick by senior midfielder Jessica Golibart (Olney, Md./Good Counsel). The goal was the first of Palmer’s career, and it was Golibart’s first assist of the season.

Just 19 seconds later, Young broke down the right side of the field and centered the ball to senior forward Missy Moore (Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel), who heeled the ball backwards to junior forward Amanda DiCarlo (Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada/St. Paul’s). DiCarlo gave the Retrievers a 3-0 advantage at 51:43 for her third goal in the last two games and her sixth on the season. Moore was credited with her fourth assist on the year, while Young picked up her first.

Freshman goalie Catie Bukowski (Odenton, Md./Arundel/South Carolina) notched her second career shutout and tallied four saves on the day. She has allowed just one goal in her last two games. Stony Brook goalkeeper Cindy Bennett registered seven saves.

The Retrievers out-shot the Seawolves 18-10, but Stony Brook held a 6-5 advantage on corner kicks.

The win gives head coach Michelle Salmon 44 victories in her career and leaves her just two shy of becoming UMBC’s all-time winningest women’s soccer coach. Jamie Watson recorded 46 wins in five years with the Retrievers.

UMBC’s seven wins are just one shy of its entire 2004 total, and the Retrievers are off to their best 12-game start since 2001 when they also opened the season 7-5-0.

The Retrievers return home Thursday, Oct. 8, to take on America East foe Hartford. Game time is 4 p.m. at UMBC Stadium.