BALTIMORE, Md. - In the Tigers' matchup with undefeated UMBC on Wednesday, they limited the high-scoring Retrievers to only seven shots. UMBC had scored 19 goals in its first five games so the Tiger defense gave Towson a chance to win. In fact, UMBC was held to just one goal. However, the one goal proved to be enough as the Retrievers (6-0) held off the Tigers (3-2) to earn a 1-0 victory over the Tigers on Wednesday afternoon at UMBC Stadium.

While UMBC won its sixth game in a row, the Tigers saw their three-game winning streak snapped.

For the most part, the Tigers controlled play against the Retrievers. They owned a 13-7 advantage in shots and had five corner kicks to three by UMBC. However, the Tigers were called for offsides six times, depriving them of several scoring opportunities.

In the final 12 minutes of the match, the Tigers turned up the pressure and outshot UMBC by a 6-0 margin. However, UMBC goalkeeper Phil Saunders came up with three key saves to keep the Tigers off the scoreboard.

At 80:16, Saunders made a save on a shot by the Tigers' Marco Mangione, the Colonial Athletic Association's Co-Player of the Week. With 5:12 remaining, he made a save on a header by Tommy Appel-Schumacher. In the final minute of the contest, Saunders made a save on another shot by Mangione. He finished the match with five saves as he recorded his second shutout of the year.

Although the Retrievers didn't have as many scoring chances as the Tigers, they took advantage of their best opportunity. In the 39th minute of the game, UMBC was awarded a free kick after a foul by the Tigers. High-scoring sophomore forward Andrew Bulls blasted a 23-yard shot inside the right post to give UMBC a 1-0 lead. It was the ninth goal of the season for Bulls, the leading scorer in NCAA Division I.

"It was the type of game that could have gone either way," said Towson Coach Frank Olszewski. "Even though we had more shots than they did, I wouldn't say either team dominated. We were pleased with the way we played defensively but we just couldn't put one in the net.

"The difference in the game was that UMBC cashed in on their best scoring opportunity and we didn't," Olszewski added. "We had been doing a great job finishing in the first four games. We scored 12 goals in those games. But for the first time this season, we couldn't finish. It wasn't because we weren't trying. The effort was there and we were working hard. We just couldn't knock one in."

Goalkeeper John Steele made three saves for the Tigers, who were shut out for the first time this season.

Towson returns to action on Saturday with another local match at Loyola College at 2:00 p.m.

Men's College Soccer: UMBC 1, Towson University 0
Towson (3-2-0)  0-0 / 0
UMBC (6-0-0)  1-0 / 1

Goals: UMBC - Andrew Bulls 1 (39:57). Saves: TOW - John Steele 3 (90:00, 1 goals allowed); UMBC - Phil Saunders 5 (90:00, 0 goals allowed). Shots: TOW - 13; UMBC - 7. Corner Kicks: TOW - 5; UMBC - 3. Attendance: 835.