LOWELL, Mass. – Precision and accuracy were the name of the game, as a pair of unassisted goals by senior Borna Miklic (Kutina, Croatia) and junior Matthias Stingl (Deggendorf, Germany) helped earn the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (2-6-1, 1-1 America East) a 2-1 victory against UMBC (5-3-1, 1-1 AE) on Saturday night at Cushing Field. The win earns the River Hawks their first in conference play this season.
 
The Retrievers led in shots early, but both teams would trade blows for the remainder of the match, with the total count being 14-11 in favor of UMass Lowell. Commanding the River Hawk defense, senior goalkeeper Christian Miesch (Ried-Brig, Switzerland) finished the night with four saves.
 
"I thought it was a gritty performance. That last 45 minutes was just full of a lot of pride from the guys that were out there," remarked Head Coach Christian Figueroa. "It was tough. UMBC did a really good job putting a lot of pressure on, but I think our guys responded after a short turnaround from the last game to make some adjustments. I'm proud of them."
 
The defenses held early in the match, with only one total shot being recorded in the first 22 minutes of action. The Retrievers compounded five attempts between the 23rd and 26th minute that were dealt with by the River Hawk defense.
 
UMass Lowell struck first in the match in the 34th minute off a free kick by Miklic that curled around the UMBC wall and into the top left corner. The Retrievers maintained their offensive pressure and responded just minutes later with a shot from Ryan Becher in the 38th minute.
 
The River Hawks answered by taking more chances in the late minutes of the opening frame. With just seconds remaining in the half, a penalty kick was awarded to UMass Lowell. Stingl was called upon to go head-to-head with the keeper from the circle and pinpointed the top right apex to gain a 2-1 lead before the break.
 
The second half favored the River Hawks on the attack, with the home team outchancing the Retrievers, 8-4. Still, UMBC made efforts to draw even through several corner and free kick opportunities. In the 75th minute, a distant free kick taken by UMBC just beyond the penalty area searched for the low left side, but Miesch shut the door.
 
On the counterattack in the 78th minute, sophomore Reziq Banihani (Irbid, Jordan) tried to extend the lead by driving a shot hard and high, but it rang off the crossbar. The River Hawk attack helped to limit Retriever chances down the stretch, allowing UMass Lowell to emerge with the 2-1 victory.
 
The River Hawks remain at home for their upcoming match, when Binghamton visits Cushing Field on Saturday, October 2 at 7 p.m.