Retrievers

The UMBC men's lacrosse team's search for a season-turning win chugs along for at least another week. No. 8 Maryland scored the first four goals en route to a commanding 15-6 victory over the visiting Retrievers before 2,836 at Byrd Stadium on Friday night. UMBC has lost four straight contests after opening the season with a 16-10 win against Presbyterian on Feb. 19. The team has been outscored, 66-25, in those setbacks. Despite the Retrievers' lethargic start, the Terps (5-1)

Et cetera Pretension takes Canonero II at Pimlico Pretension won Saturday's feature at Pimlico Race Course , the $75,000 Canonero II Stakes for 3-year-olds, by a neck over Brimstone Island. The winner, ridden by Javier Santiago for trainer Chris Grove , completed the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1 minute, 45.70 seconds and paid $18. My Adonis, the 1-5 favorite who shipped in from Louisville after failing to draw into the Kentucky Derby, led for much of the race but faded to third place.

Dan Bulls is senior co-captain of the Retrievers soccer team. His brother Andrew, a freshman, is one of the team's top scorers. Together, the pair from Millersville have helped propel UMBC, 3-1-1 entering today's game at Towson (4 p.m.).The Bulls brothers are the first siblings to start for Pete Caringi, the school's coach for 18 years. They play side by side as midfielders. To their teammates, they are known simply as "Bulls" and "Baby Bulls." "Their chemistry amazes me," Caringi said.

Scott Jones finished with two goals in No. 2 seed UMBC's 19-8 loss to No. 3 seed Albany in Wednesday night's America East tournament final, but his impact was barely felt at UMBC Stadium in Catonsville. Jones, who entered the contest leading the Retrievers in both goals (34) and points (38), scored the game's first goal just 27 seconds into the first quarter. But he didn't score his second one until 12:30 remained in the fourth quarter. The Great Danes shadowed Jones with a short-stick defensive midfielder, essentially daring him to dodge - which is not his strength.

Two characteristics of this Terrapins team that are going to give plenty of teams trouble this season are their size and their depth. On Friday night at Comcast Center, the No.22 Maryland women exploited both of those advantages against UMBC. The Terrapins dominated the Retrievers, winning 71-45 for their eighth victory in a row. The 26-point win was their third straight double-digit margin. Tianna Hawkins made the most of her first start of the season with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, scoring in double figures for her second game in a row. Anjale Barrett, the lone guard on the court to start the game, had 12 points and six assists, and Alyssa Thomas came back from a cut knee that needed 10 stitches to chip in 10 points.

DID THE basketball playoffs lose their spark after Maryland's Terrapins washed out? Is it time for a break from competition that seems too much about speed and strength and too little about strategy? If so, then "The Surgeon," "The Frenchman," "The Polish Magician" and "The Invincible" have just the spectator sport for you: championship chess. Become a fan in time to celebrate with the new hometown champs. Bearing the monikers of professional wrestlers, members of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Retrievers won the "Final Four" of intercollegiate chess Sunday with a three-zip match score over defending champs and longtime rivals the University of Texas at Dallas.

The comeback tour for the Towson men's lacrosse team rolls on. Seven players scored goals as the host Tigers collected their second consecutive win by holding off UMBC, 10-7, before an announced 2,850 at Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson on Wednesday night. Paired with Saturday's 9-7 triumph over Delaware, the victory gives Towson (3-5) its first two-game winning streak since March 2009, when the team strung together three straight victories over Robert Morris, Bucknell and Drexel.

Colleges Former star catcher Mumma named UMBC baseball coach UMBC has promoted Bob Mumma from assistant baseball coach to head coach at his alma mater. The Rising Sun native played catcher for the Retrievers from 1990 to 1992 and is the school's all-time leader in home runs (42) and tied for second in RBIs (152). He spent two seasons in the Chicago White Sox organization, then returned to UMBC in the fall of 1996 as an assistant. He succeeds John Jancuska , who coached the Retrievers from 1978 to this year.

CINCINNATI -- In a game marked by poor shooting and turnovers by both teams, UMBC lost to Xavier, 77-58, last night at Cincinnati Gardens before 6,613 fans.UMBC (1-6) has lost 15 of its past 16 games on the road and hasn't won a road contest in December since beating Coppin State in 1992.The Retrievers shot just 27 percent from the field (18 for 66) and 62 percent from the line (16 of 26). UMBC committed 32 turnovers.UMBC, which came into the game averaging 16 turnovers per contest, had that many by the end of the first half.

UMBC encountered no challenge when it opened its lacrosse season with a 26-goal victory over Marist Saturday.But yesterday, the Retrievers met serious resistance on three fronts -- the opposition, the weather and a muddy field -- and triumphed in spite of it.Under conditions more suitable for mud-packing and kite flying, the 10th-ranked Retrievers turned back visiting Notre Dame, 13-7, to earn their first 2-0 start in 10 years and receive a suitable warm-up...

UMBC, the No. 2 seed in the America East tournament, has won 10 of 14 contests in this series, including six of the last seven. But Albany, the No. 3 seed, upended the Retrievers, 11-7, in 2010, the last time they played host to a tournament semifinal. The Great Danes (4-10) went 3-2 in the conference, but have dropped their last two contests. UMBC (5-7) also went 3-2 in the league, but edged Albany for the higher seed due to a 17-16 overtime win on April 21. Here are a few factors that could influence the outcome at UMBC Stadium in Catonsville Wednesday night.

UMBC's opponent Wednesday night in one semifinal of the America East tournament is Albany, a foe that the Retrievers memorably edged, 17-16, in overtime on April 14. In that contest, UMBC overcame a 16-11 deficit with a five-goal run in a span of 2 minutes, 18 seconds in the fourth quarter and then got a goal from junior attackman Scott Jones with 2:17 left in overtime to cap the impressive rally. Coach Don Zimmerman is fully expecting the Great Danes to use that loss as inspiration for Wednesday night's game at UMBC Stadium in Catonsville.

A win last Saturday night against Binghamton would have put UMBC in the conversation for the America East regular season championship and the top seed and homefield advantage in the conference tournament. Stony Brook's 12-11 decision against Albany made that discussion moot as the Seawolves finished with a 4-1 record in the league and clinched the aforementioned rewards. That left the Retrievers with a 3-2 conference mark and the second seed in the America East Tournament. UMBC didn't exactly help its own cause with a 15-8 loss to the Bearcats.

Salisbury is the Capital Athletic Conference champion for the 17th time after defeating Stevenson, 12-9, on Saturday at Sea Gull Stadium.   The Sea Gulls (19-0) used a six-goal run that lasted from 7:57 in the first quarter until 5:31 in the second quarter to take a 7-2 lead over the Mustangs (14-4). Sam Bradman scored all three of his goals in the second half to keep the Sea Gulls on top for the remainder of the game. Binghamton 15, UMBC 8: The host Bearcats (4-9, 1-4 America East)

When UMBC tangles with America East rival Binghamton in Vestal, N.Y., this Saturday night at 7, conference leader Stony Brook and Albany will face off at the same time just 140 miles to the northeast. If the Retrievers (5-6 overall and 3-1 in the league) win and the Seawolves (4-9. 3-1) lose, UMBC will capture the regular-season title and the top seed and homefield advantage in the America East Tournament. For the record, Retrievers coach Don Zimmerman said he will not be seeking updates on Stony Brook from his assistant coaches during his team's contest against the Bearcats.

UMBC's thrilling 17-16 overtime decision over America East rival Albany last Saturday - which included a five-goal run in a span of 2 minutes, 18 seconds in the fourth quarter - put the Retrievers squarely in the mix for the top seed and homefield advantage in the conference tournament. While that victory was reminiscent of the program's nine-goal rally in a 14-13 win against the Great Danes in the America East Tournament final in 2008, coach Don Zimmerman said he would prefer if the team didn't dig itself such a big hole.

When Tom Sullivan was applying for the job of men's basketball coach at UMBC four years ago, an impressive group of callers phoned in their recommendations to UMBC athletic director Charles Brown."

The UMBC Retrievers' long climb back to respectability hit a serious detour last night in a showdown for second place with Big South rival Charleston Southern at UMBC Fieldhouse.The Buccaneers used a 21-2 run early in the second half to gain a 49-31 advantage and survived UMBC's furious late rally to win, 72-62, before a crowd of 1,728.It was the fifth straight conference victory for Charleston Southern (12-9, 8-3). UMBC dropped to 9-12, 6-5 in the league.And the Retrievers, who had used a suffocating defense to win eight of their previous 12 games, had the tables turned last night as they managed to shoot only 32 percent (21-for-65)

UMBC's 10-8 loss to Stony Brook Saturday night opened the door for the Seawolves and Albany to leapfrog the Retrievers in the America East. Although Stony Brook and the Great Danes have identical 3-0 records in the league, UMBC is just one game back at 2-1 and in sole possession of third place. That's why coach Don Zimmerman emphasized that the team's goals of qualifying for the conference tournament and winning the tourney to reach the NCAA Tournament are still within reach. “There's plenty of season left,” he said Monday.

UMBC had gone more than a month without trailing in the first quarter, but that all changed Saturday night as the Retrievers found themselves in a 5-1 hole en route to a 10-8 loss to America East rival Stony Brook. The four-goal deficit in the first quarter compounded by six turnovers impacted UMBC (4-6 overall and 2-1 in the conference), which hadn't trailed in the first since March 10 against Johns Hopkins. “I think we just came out flat and turned the ball over six times in the first quarter, and that allowed Stony Brook, who I thought was ready to play, an opportunity to build a lead on us,” coach Don Zimmerman said Monday.