ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy men's soccer was unable to string together victories following a 2-0 setback against UMBC to wrap up a four-match homestand at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
The Midshipmen (1-4-1) had just one shot on goal, which came in the fifth minute and the duo Tre Pulliam and Cesare Marconi led the Retrievers (4-1-0) with three points apiece.
"We started out the match well but lost some momentum after UMBC scored its first goal off a restart," head coach Tim O'Donohue said after the match. "UMBC is a good team and now we need to get ready for Saint Joseph's."
Navy got off to a fast start with an early shot on goal from Jacob Williams (Fr., Millersville, Md.). Williams' shot in the fifth minute of play was the only shot on target the Midshipmen would get the entire match.
Despite not registering a shot on goal the rest of the match, Navy kept up the offensive pressure with Bayne Bentley (Fr., Austin, Texas) hitting the crossbar on just the second shot attempt of the contest for the Mids.
UMBC started to tilt the field in its direction with a goal in the 16th minute. Marconi sprinted down the left wing and centered the ball into the box, where he found a racing Pulliam at the back post. Pulliam got his right foot on the cross and directed the ball into the back of the net to put the Retrievers ahead, 1-0, early.
Following the goal, Bentley headed a ball wide, but UMBC started to press offensively once again. Within a 10-minute span, the Retrievers recorded three shots without the Midshipmen attempting a shot.
With the Retrievers holding a 1-0 lead at the half, they also had a 6-5 edge in shots, while each team had just one shot on goal in the half.
UMBC continued its strong offensive performance right out the gate in the second half with the duo of Pulliam and Marconi hooking up once again in the 50th minute. This time it was Marconi scoring the goal after Pulliam sent in a cross from the top-right corner of the penalty area to the far post where Marconi volleyed home the Retrievers' second goal of the match.
The Midshipmen tried to rally from behind in the second half, but they were only able to generate four shots throughout the second 45 minutes of action. Of the four shot attempts Navy had in the second half, three were in the final 20 minutes of regulation, as UMBC grabbed a 2-0 victory over the Midshipmen.
Ian Bramblett (So., Easley, S.C.) recorded a second-half save as his shutout streak was snapped at 160:37.
Navy is now set to begin a three-match road swing with the first of three contests coming at Saint Joseph's on Tuesday in Philadelphia, Pa., starting at 7 p.m.
