THE BASICS:
 
RESULT: Hartford 4, UMBC 1
RECORDS: Hartford (7-6-2, 3-1-1 AE); UMBC (2-8-3, 0-4-0 AE)
LOCATION: Retriever Soccer Park (Baltimore, Md.)
 
THE LEAD:
 
Three different players found the back of the net on Sunday as the University of Hartford women's soccer team downed UMBC, 4-1, in America East action at Retrievers Soccer Park. Junior Ashley Claud led all scorers with a pair of goals, including the game-winner in the 50th minute.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Sophomore Kaila Lozada put the Hawks on the scoreboard in the 27th minute, finding the back of the net for the sixth time this season on a shot to the far corner.
• UMBC's chances were limited in the first half, with the Retrievers' lone threat coming with 95 seconds left in the stanza. Elysia Paolillo fired a shot from 20 yards out, forcing Hawks' rookie keeper Maia Perez into action. She came up the save, and prevented a second  attempt on the deflection to send her team into the halftime break with the 1-0 lead.
• The offense continued to roll in the second half, as Hartford tacked on three-unanswered goals to extend the lead to 4-0. Claud started the rally in the 50th minute, netting what would be the eventual game-winner after chipping in a shot from 22 yards out. Sophomore Bridgette Alexander was credited with the assist.
• Two more scores 51 seconds apart doubled Hartford's advantage to 4-0 by the 74th minute. At the 72:39 mark, junior Julia Carr put the finishing touches on a short pass inside the box from Lozada before Claud capped off the scoring with her second goal of the afternoon, connecting on a through ball from Carr at 73:30.
• UMBC managed to break through the Hawks' defense with just 2:48 left on the clock. Moments after Emily Horn was unable to reign one in for the Retrievers after catching a piece of the crossbar, she sent a high ball into the box, setting up Jamie Shiftlett, who headed in UMBC's lone goal from just outside the six-yard box.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS & NOTES:

• Hartford improves to 11-5-1 all-time against UMBC with Sunday's win.
• Claud, who returned to the Hawks' lineup three days ago at UAlbany after missing four matches with an injury, notched her second career multi-goal outing.
• Carr matched a season high in scoring against the Retrievers, adding an assist for three points. Lozada also contributed three points in the win.
• The two sides combined for 21 shots, with the Hawks holding an 11-10 advantage. Hartford put six of its attempts on goal, forcing UMBC keeper Leah Roth to make a pair of saves.
• Perez registered three saves for the Hawks en route to earning her seventh career win.
• The Hawks have been hot as of late, going 5-1-1 in their last seven.

 
UP NEXT:
The Hawks return to West Hartford for a two-game homestand, beginning with a Thursday night tilt against New Hampshire. Kickoff from Al-Marzook Field is set for 6 p.m.