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Big victory, big loss
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UMBC sophomore attacker Matt Latham celebrates one of his four goals against Albany on Saturday. — John Strohsacker/For The Examiner Even in victory, UMBC suffered a major loss. The seventh-ranked Retrievers overcame a season-ending knee injury to junior attacker Ryan Smith and a nine-goal deficit in the second quarter to earn their third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament with a 14-13 victory over Albany in the America East Tournament final. The Retrievers (12-3) extended their school-record winning streak to 11 games in stunning fashion, as they outscored the Great Danes, 10-2, in the second half to rally from deficits of 11-2 with six minutes, 41 seconds remaining in the second quarter and 11-4 at intermission. The Retrievers were dealt a crippling blow just 77 seconds into the game when Smith, the team’s leading scorer with 29 goals, was helped off the field after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. “He’s a great player. I can’t say how much we miss him,” said sophomore attacker Matt Latham, who scored four goals on Saturday. “That’s why we have to come together as a team and play together.” Initially, the Retrievers looked lost without Smith, who had five goals and three assists in their win over Albany during the regular season. The defending conference tournament champion Great Danes (8-8) stormed out to an 11-2 lead in front of a stunned crowd of 2,080 at UMBC Stadium. “I don’t think we played with much heart in that first half,” said senior midfielder Terry Kimener, who leads the team with 46 points (26 goals, 20 assists) and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. “We definitely brought it out in the second half.” Trailing 11-4, the Retrievers came out of the locker room determined not to fold. They scored four times in the first four minutes to cut Albany’s lead to 11-8. Alex Hopmann tied the game with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and with 2:12 left, freshman midfielder Jamie Kimbles scored the game-winning goal from sophomore midfielder Maxx Davis. As soon as the final buzzer sounded, UMBC’s players threw their sticks and gloves into the air as fans rushed the field to revel in one of the school’s greatest victories. “I couldn’t be more proud of this team,” UMBC coach Don Zimmerman said “They’ve handled adversity in an incredible fashion, and I think tonight personifies what this team is and what they’re capable of doing. We felt that we had to win the America East to get in [the NCAA Tournament], and we did.” avitelli@baltimoreexaminer.com |