BALTIMORE- UMBC junior midfielder Mamadou Kansaye (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) scored early in the second half and the defense made the goal stand up as the eighth-ranked Retrievers blanked visiting  New Hampshire, 1-0, in an America East mid-season battle for first place.

UMBC, which stretched its unbeaten streak to four, improved to 3-0-1 in league play and 12-1-1 overall. UNH saw its four-game winning streak halted and the Wildcats slipped to 3-1-0 in America East and 9-4-0 overall.

The game was a rematch of the 2012 championship game, which went to penalty kicks after 110 scoreless minutes. UMBC advanced and won the America East title, by a 4-2 margin in penalty kicks.

Kansaye scored off a free kick from 20 yards out in the 50th minute of play. He struck a left-footed shot which hooked around the Wildcat wall, but Wildcat netminder Travis Worra was well-positioned to make the save. But the junior netminder could not find the handle and the ball crossed over the goal line to give the hosts the advantage.

Despite gaining the lead, UMBC continued to press and nearly got an insurance goal in the 78th minute, but Worra made back-to-back saves on efforts by senior Pete Caringi III (Perry Hall, Md./Calvert Hall).

The Wildcats did not put a shot on goal in the final 17 minutes of the contest. They had an excellent chance in the 82 nd minute as a counter attack produced a four-on-two break. But junior forward David Schlatter, who beat his defender on the right edge of the box, missed the target to the right from 13 yards out.   

UMBC outshot UNH, 12-5, and Retriever senior netminder Phil Saunders (Perry Hall, Md./Perry Hall) needed to make only one save to record his 20th career shutout.  Worra made four saves for the visitors.

The UMBC victory evened the series at 5-5-5 and extended the Retrievers’ unbeaten streak to seven (3-0-4) vs. the Wildcats.

UMBC has its first scheduled week off of the season upcoming and does not return to action until an Oct. 26 date at Binghamton.

Notes: Seniors Caringi, Saunders, midfielder Kadeem Dacres (Rosedale, N.Y./Mercer County CC) and M/B Travis Dennis (Bowie, Md./Roosevelt) were honored in pre-game ceremonies… UNH is now 7-3 in one-goal decisions in 2013. 

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