The UMBC Women’s Soccer team ended their non-conference schedule last Monday, and has a week of preparation for their first America East conference matchup of the season on Sunday, Sept. 24 against Albany. Coach Leslie Wray is entering her sixth season as Head Coach of the Retrievers and has a 2-4-3 conference record.
Women’s Soccer is undefeated in their final three non-conference games, beating Longwood, and tying St. Francis (Pa.) and Lehigh University. UMBC will be hosting games against Albany, Hartford, Vermont and New Hampshire this season, with road games in Maine, Binghamton, UMass Lowell and Stony Brook. The Retrievers currently sit in seventh place at the end of non-conference play, with only Maine and Albany sitting below them.
The America East Preseason Coaches’ Poll put UMBC in ninth place out of nine, with Hartford and Albany only a point apart at No. 1 and No. 2 for the most likely to win the conference title this season. With two conference games per week, and all the away games being at least 250 miles from Baltimore, the team will be tested in many ways.
UMBC finished the non-conference schedule with 10.9 shots per game with nine goals scored in nine games. Senior biology major Gabby Boehmer and freshmen Olivia Bronson, Christina Corbi and Elysia Paolillo have two goals each this season and will be looking to continue their scoring form once America East play begins.
Junior Leah Roth has played every game in goal so far this season, having a GAA of 1.01, in almost 900 minutes of action. The team will need her to have a good conference campaign to get into the America East tournament at the end of October.
The team finished their first conference game with a 3-1 loss against Albany on September 24. They will travel to Maine on Monday, Oct. 1 to continue their conference season.
