Men's Soccer Preview: UMBC

NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware men's soccer team will play the second game of their four-game homestand when they host UMBC on Oct. 10 at 7:00 p.m.

What You Need to Know:

Delaware opened its season with a 2-0 win over Mount St. Mary's on Thursday, August 25, giving head coach Tommy McMenemy his first career victory. The Blue Hens also defeated George Washington on Sept. 13 behind two goals by Sam Donnellan. Delaware played Saint Joseph's to a 1-1 draw on Sept. 6 and UNCW to a 2-2 draw on Sept. 24.
Donnellan was named CAA Rookie of the Week on Sept. 19 and Sept. 26. He is the first CAA freshman to win two Rookie of the Week honors so far this season, and is the first Delaware player to receive back-to-back Rookie of the Weeks since Roberto Giménez in September 2011.
Donnellan scored five goals in his first nine career games, the fastest Blue Hen player to score five career goals since former All-American Guillermo Delgado did so in his first four games. Donnellan's five goals are already the most by a Delaware freshman since Fede Prieto had seven in 2016. He is tied for third in the CAA in goals scored, trailing Elliot Goldthorp (nine) of Hofstra and Chris Elliot (seven) of Charleston. Harrison Coron of Drexel also has five goals this season. Donnellan is one of 14 freshmen this season to score at least five goals, and he and Elliot are the only freshmen to score at least five goals among CAA players.
Seidu Shamsudeen has scored three goals for the Blue Hens, while Brandon Sengphachanh and Orri Thorhallsson have scored one goal. Florian Phlepsen (two), Orri Thorhallsson, Jordan Miller, Aron Adalsteinsson, Alonso Rodriguez, Petros Fokas, and Carlos Fernandez each have recorded an assist.
Adam Vik has recorded 45 saves through the first 11 games of the season to lead the CAA, including a career-high eight against Hofstra. He has recorded shutouts against Mount St. Mary's in his collegiate debut on August 25 and George Washington on Sept. 13.
Delaware is 10-15-4 all-time against UMBC in a series that dates back from 1975. The Blue Hens are coming off a 3-1 victory over UMBC on Sept. 28, 2021 at Retriever Soccer Park. Einar Hardarson, Fernandez, and former Blue Hen Zach Golden all scored goals.

The Opponent:

UMBC is 6-4-1 and 1-2 in the American East Conference so far on the season. They have notably defeated Lehigh, 2-0 but lost to Mount St. Mary's,1-0, and Saint Joe's, 2-1, common opponents of Delaware.
UMBC is led by Ryan Becher, who has scored seven goals and recorded five assists, and Taylor Calheira, who has scored six goals and recorded four assists. Quantrell Jones leads the UMBC goalkeeping with 31 saves and 13 goals allowed in 11 games.
Head coach Pete Caringi, Jr. is in his 32nd season with UMBC and enters the game with a career record of 316-202-80. He was inducted into the UMBC Hall of Fame in 2019 and qualified his squads for the NCAA Tournament in 1999, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

How to Follow: Live Stats I Live Video
Live stats and live video will be available for the match on bluehens.com.

Up Next: Delaware hosts Stony Brook at Grant Stadium on Oct. 15, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.

Follow Us on Social Media: For the latest on the Delaware men's soccer program, follow the Blue Hens on Twitter @DelawareMSOC and Instagram @DelawareMSOC and like "Delaware Men's Soccer" on Facebook.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Aron Adalsteinsson

Guillermo Delgado

Sam Donnellan

Carlos Fernandez

Petros Fokas

Roberto Giménez

Zach Golden

Einar Hardarson

Jordan Miller

Florian Phlepsen

Fede Prieto

Alonso Rodriguez

Brandon Sengphachanh

Seidu Shamsudeen

Orri Thorhallsson

Adam Vik

University of Delaware Athletics