BALTIMORE, Md.  – The University of Hartford men's soccer team's season came to an end on Saturday evening, as the second-seeded Hawks suffered a hard-fought, 2-1 loss at top-seeded UMBC in the championship match of the America East Tournament. Hartford concludes its season with an 11-6-2 record, becoming just the fourth team to post back-to-back double-digit win seasons in the program's Division I history.  

Defeating Hartford for the second-straight season in the title match, UMBC (12-5-3) earns the America East's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Hawks applied pressured on the Retrievers early on in their third championship game appearance in four years. In the 38th minute, Hartford took advantage of the best scoring opportunity of the half as sophomore Jeff Tryon bounced-in a rebound from an Udi Cohen shot that hit off the crossbar. The Hawks would take that 1-0 advantage into the locker rooms.

But momentum shifted out of the intermission in favor of the home team as UMBC, which was outshot, 6-5, in the first half, produced several scoring attempts right out of the gates. Oumar Ballo knocked-in the equalizer in the 62nd minute on a centering pass from Jordan Becker before Hartford was forced to play shorthanded from the 69th minute on as senior Rohan Roye received his second yellow card of the match.

UMBC took advantage of the extra-man opportunity. In the 76th minute, Gregg Hauck chipped in the game-winner from 18-yards out to put the Retrievers ahead by a 2-1 count.  

Jeff Tryon, Connor Yeaney and Romario Jones were named to the America East All-Championship Team, joining Ballo, Hauck, Mamadou Kansaye and Marquez Fernandez from UMBC. Hauck was named the Most Outstanding Player.

The Hawks lose five seniors (Patrick Hallahan, Aleko Petridis, Rohan Roye, Omar Tall, and Connor Yeaney) to graduation. Collectively, the group helped Hartford to 39 wins, including three America East Championship title match appearances.

GOALS SUMMARY:

·         Hartford broke through in the final minutes of the first half on a play that was started by sophomore Udi Cohen; the midfielder drilled a shot from inside of the 18-yard box off the crossbar and classmate Jeff Tryon sent home the rebound on a bounce over the head of Billy Heavner from just inside of the six-yard box

·         In the 63rd minute, UMBC's Oumar Ballo headed in a centering cross from Jordan Becker to tie up the match at 1-1

·         With Hartford playing shorthanded, UMBC netted the goal ahead goal in the 76th minute after Gregg Hauck dodged a Hartford defender and hit the upper right 90 from just outside of the box 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

·         Facing 18 total shots, Hartford keeper David MacKinnon made five saves

·         The Hawks held the upperhand in the first half, edging the Retrievers, 6-5, in shots during that stretch

·         UMBC scored two unanswered scores, the second of which came when facing an undermanned Hartford team, to pull out the win

·         In the second half, momentum shifted in favor of UMBC as it produced 13 shots while holding the Hawks to just two

·         Saturday evening's title match loss marked the first time all season Hartford gave up a halftime lead 

TWEETABLES (140 characters or less): 

·         Jeff Tryon's first-half goal for @Hart_HawkSoccer pushed his season total to four, a team-best

·         .@Hart_HawkSoccer's appearance in the title match was its second-straight, and its third in four seasons

·         Closing out the 2014 campaign with an 11-6-2 mark, @Hart_HawkSoccer posted its second-straight double-digit win season

·         .@Hart_HawkSoccer's five seniors (Hallahan, Petridis, Roye, Tryon and Yeaney) combined for 39 wins in four years