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BALTIMORE, Md. – The top-seeded UMBC Retrievers outlasted the No. 5 Vermont Catamounts to post a 3-1 win in an America East Semifinal match at Retriever Soccer Park on Wednesday.
 
Vermont, which was making its second semifinal appearance in three years, wraps up its season with an 8-9-2 record. UMBC improves to 11-5-3 and will make its second straight trip to the America East Championship game and face the winner of the No. 3 Binghamton vs. No. 2 Hartford match on Saturday in Baltimore.
 
"Our effort was tremendous," said Vermont head coach Jesse Cormier. "I thought our guys gave their heart and soul. They put it on the line tonight and I am very proud of that. We put UMBC under a lot of pressure tonight and made them play. That's a big change from the last time we met a couple weeks ago. I felt that if we got a second goal we were going to have a chance to win, but credit to UMBC they were able to find that third goal and get to move on."
 
"I'm disappointed for the seniors and to have our season come to and end, but the guys gave it all they had out there. As a coach all you can ask for is their best effort and we got that tonight," continued Cormier.
 
Brian Wright's ninth goal of the season gave Vermont a 1-0 lead. Wright collected a through ball from Bernard Yeboah in the ninth minute, beat a UMBC defender and slotted a low shot to the far post.
 
UMBC quickly leveled the score in the 10th minute off a corner kick opportunity. Oumar Ballo and Jordan Becker kept the ball alive as it was served back out to beyond the penalty box. Gregg Hauck stepped up to receive the ball and drove a shot from 25 yards out into the back of the net. It was his first goal of the season.
 
The Retrievers took a 2-1 lead in the 29th minute. Becker served up a cross from the left side and Kay Banjo hit a back heel volley for his eighth tally of the season.
 
In the second half, Michael Scott added an insurance goal in the 83rd minute to push UMBC's lead to 3-1. Scott carried the ball down the left side and hit a chip shot over Vermont goalkeeper Conor Leland for his second goal of the year.
 
Leland finished with four saves in his final game in a Vermont uniform. Billy Heavner was credited with four stops in the UMBC net. The Retrievers finished the match with a 15-7 edge in shots and held a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks.
 
The match marked the final game in a Vermont uniform for seven seniors – Leland, Ryan Bailey, Luke Salmon, Brad Cole, Daniel Giron, Carter Lincoln and Mike Clayton.