BALTIMORE – UMBC women’s soccer’s sophomore forward Alexa Quaranta (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall) scored her second game-winning goal of the week, this one coming 1:04 into the second half, as the black and gold picked up a 3-1 victory against Albany in America East action at Retriever Soccer Park on Sunday afternoon.  

After dropping a pair of contests last week, UMBC has won two straight to improve to 7-4-2 overall and 2-1-0 in America East play, while Albany drops to 1-10-1 overall and 0-2-1 in conference. The victory marks the first conference win for the black and gold at Retriever Soccer Park since Oct. 11, 2009.

UMBC jumped out in front 12:18 into the opening half and would take the 1-0 advantage into the break. Quaranta sent a centering pass toward the direction of freshman forward Victoria Burress (Bristow, Va./Patriot), but was deflected away by an Albany defender. Freshman midfielder Meg Kowalski (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) gathered the deflection and connected on a left footed shot into the far left corner of the net, for her first collegiate goal.

Quaranta registered the eventual game-winner 1:04 into the second period, collecting a pass from red-shirt junior Jessy Brown (Plantation, Fla./American Heritage) and lofting a shot over the head of Albany goalkeeper Alana Brennan for the 2-0 lead. The goal was Quaranta’s team-leading fourth of the season and her second in as many games, while Brown notched her seventh point of the 2013 campaign.

The Great Danes cut their deficit to one, 2-1, with 9:57 to go in the contest. Albany found itself open inside the 18 yard box, using three straight passes to find its shooter Caitlyn Paltsios, who blasted a shot at UMBC netminder Lauren Kadet (Oakville, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas). Kadet deflected the ball up, but the momentum of the shot sent the ball over the head of Kadet and into the back of the net.

It took the Retrievers just 1:18 to take back its two-goal advantage and solidify the victory. A UAlbany foul led to a free kick outside the 18 yard box for sophomore back Amira Walcott (Beltsville, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt). Walcott booted a shot into the far right corner of the net for her third score of the season.

UMBC outshot Albany 22-11 in the contest, including a 13-4 differential in the opening half. Quaranta recorded a career-high 10 shots, the second-most for an America East player this season.

Kadet stopped five shots in the victory, while Brennan, the conference’s saves per game leader, finished the afternoon with eight stops.

The Retrievers return to action on Thursday, Oct. 10 when they kickoff Homecoming Weekend by hosting Vermont at Retriever Soccer Park. Game time is set for 7 p.m., with the first 250 fans receiving free hot dogs. Thursday also marks Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day at Retriever Soccer Park, where all faculty, staff and their families get a discounted admission fee to the contest.  

Game Notes
-UMBC’s two conference wins matches its most since 2008, when it finished America East play with a 2-6 record.
-The Retrievers America East home victory is its first since Oct. 11, 2009, when it defeated Hartford, 2-1.
-UMBC takes control of the all-time series, 6-5.
-The Retrievers’ 15 goals on the season are the most in a campaign since it registered 16 scores in 2007.
-The black and golf finished the contest with a season-high 22 shots, the most in a game for UMBC since it registered 23 shots versus Delaware St.