FAIRFAX, Va. - Two first half goals was all the offense the
George Mason men's soccer team needed as it continued its undefeated start to
the season with a 2-1 win over UMBC on Saturday evening at George Mason
Stadium.
With the win the Patriots improved to a perfect 6-0, while
the Retrievers dropped to 2-2-2. Mason's unbeaten start is the best since the
1985 squad went 12-0.
Sophomore Timi Mulgrew continued his strong offensive start
to the season, giving Mason an early 1-0 advantage. Mulgrew used some fancy
footwork to tangle the feet of a UMBC defender on the left side of the goal box
before sending the ball to the right side of the net in the eighth minute.
The Patriots extended their lead to 2-0 in the 29th
minute. Senior Taylor Morgan scored his fifth goal of the season off some quick
passing by the Mason offense, as freshman Ahmed Ismail tapped a pass to Mulgrew
who sent the ball to a waiting Morgan directly in front of UMBC keeper Phil
Saunders. Morgan got Saunders to come off of his line before sending the ball to the
back of the net.
Freshman Ghiles Harmouche had a chance to add his own goal,
but his breakaway shot with three minutes remaining in the opening stanza was
collected by Saunders, leaving the score at 2-0 in favor of Mason going into
the break. At the half, Mason owned a slim 6-5 advantage in shots, while the
Retrievers led in corner kicks, 4-3.
A fast and physical game continued in the second half as
both teams battled for possession and opportunities to add to the scoreboard.
It wasn't until the 70th minute when UMBC finally put a tally on the
board, as a Mason handball in the box led to a penalty kick. UMBC senior Milo
Kapor took the kick, sending the ball to the right side of the net past a diving
Dustin Butcher to pull the Retrievers to within one goal, 2-1.
However, UMBC was unable to pull any closer as the Patriots
controlled the ball and played strong defense down the stretch for the win.
For the match Mason led in shots, 8-7, while UMBC owned a
6-3 advantage in corner kicks. Butcher played all 90:00 for the Patriots,
allowing only one goal off of a penalty kick while stopping one shot. Saunders
also played the duration for UMBC, recording three saves.
The Patriots continue non-conference play on Tuesday,
hosting the Naval Academy at 7:00 p.m.
