Albany, N.Y. – UMBC senior forward Kay Banjo’s goal (Upper Marlboro, Md./Largo/Towson U.) with 2:57 remaining in regulation gave the visiting Retrievers a well-earned 1-1 double-overtime draw with Albany at Bob Ford Field.

UMBC is now unbeaten in its last 15 America East regular season contests (12-0-3) and is unbeaten versus its last 19 league foes. The Retrievers’ last setback in league play occurred two seasons ago on the same pitch at Albany.

The Retrievers (6-4-3, 2-0-1 AE) extended their current unbeaten streak to four, while Albany moved to 3-5-6 overall and 1-2-1 in league play.

UMBC trailed for just the third time at the half this season, allowing an Albany penalty kick in the 35th minute of play. The Retrievers were relentless in the second half, peppering UA netminder Tim Allen with 12 shots in the 45-minute stanza. Allen’s best stop occurred in the 59’, as he leaped to punch away a 20-yard effort by junior midfielder Malcolm Harris (Damascus, Md./McDonogh).

The Retrievers were denied again in the 70’, as senior midfielder Geaton Caltabiano (Lothian, Md./Mount St. Joseph) was in on the left side, but his effort was stopped by Allen. The follow-up came to reserve forward Kennedy O’Shea, but his attempt from close range was denied by a Great Dane defender in front of the goal line.

The visitors got the goal they were searching for with just a few possessions remaining. Freshman forward Cormac Noel sent a ball into the box from the right side, which UA initially knocked away. But Caltabiano quickly sent the ball back across from right to left, where Banjo finally solved Allen, netted his team-leading sixth goal of the year from 11 yards out.  

The Retrievers stayed aggressive in overtime and had the better of the limited scoring chances. Caltabiano’s bender three minutes into the extra session went just over the crossbar and senior midfielder Stephen Ho (North Potomac, Md./Wootton) also hit a shot over the bar from 20 yards out in the 103’. Senior midfielder Mamadou Kansaye (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) had the last of UMBC’s 21 shots, but his chip from outside the box in the final minute when wide of the target.

The Albany score came off the foot of Leo Melgar, who netted the penalty kick after a foul was detected on a Retriever defender in the box.   

UMBC held the edge in shots, 21-12 and forced Allen to make seven saves. UMBC red-shirt sophomore netminder Billy Heavner (Landisville, Pa.) made four saves for the visitors, including a pair of challenging stops.

UMBC will play its final non-conference contest of the season when the Retrievers face Navy in Annapolis on Tuesday, Oct. 21 and return to league play at UNH next Saturday evening.

Notes: The game marked the first time in 2014 that UMBC rallied from a first-half deficit to earn a result (0-2-1)… The Retrievers are 0-2-3 in overtime this season… UMBC is 4-1-2 versus Albany in the last seven meetings, 6-4-3 overall and 1-4-1 in Albany…The match was UMBC’s played on turf this season.

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