FAIRFAX, Va. – In a low scoring affair, the George Mason men's soccer team was edged out by No. 11 ranked UMBC by the score of 1-0 on Wednesday night. The victory allows UMBC to remain unbeaten on the season, improving their record to 8-0-0. Mason falls to 4-2-1 after their second consecutive loss.
The lone goal of the match came in the closing minutes of the first half, when Travis Dennis lined a shot from the top of the box that made its way past goalkeeper Steffen Kraus in the 41st minute. The goal was Dennis' first of the season and would prove to be enough for the Retrievers to obtain the victory.
Mason landed four shots on goal to UMBC's three, although the Retrievers had the overall 13-8 advantage in total shots. Colton Amidon, Ryan Harmouche, Hugh Roberts and Nick Bourbonnais each had a shot on goal for the Patriots.
UMBC started the match with early pressure on offense, firing three shots in the first ten minutes of play. Two of the three were blocked by Mason defenders while Kraus made a save on a shot from the top of the box. The Patriots got in on the action with several header attempts towards the end of the first half. Roberts had his header go wide of the net inside the box in the 38th minute, and less than one minute later Bourbonnais would have an attempt that was saved by UMBC goalkeeper Phil Saunders.
The Patriots had several chances in the early stages of the second half but came up short on the attack. Harmouche landed a shot from the top of the box in the 57th minute of play that would be saved by Saunders, along with another chance from the top of the box in the 63rd minute that was blocked. Mason put on pressure in the final ten minutes of play with shots from Roberts, Amidon and Taylor Washington, however the Retrievers would find a way to keep the Patriots off of the scoreboard.
Mason concludes its three-game road swing when they travel to Connecticut to take on Hartford on Saturday, September 28. Game time is slated for a 7 p.m. start.
