Trio of Newcomers Shine In Season Opener

I said it all summer, the men’s soccer team is much more balanced this year on offense. Last year it was all about Levi Houapeu and Andrew Bulls, this year it is still about them but they finally have some guys around them that can score on a consistent basis, and it didn’t take long at all for those guys to prove they actually can score.

Nirav Kadam scored one goal and has two assists in his first game as a Retriever.

UMBC beat V.M.I. 5-3, and Houapeu and Bulls only combined for four points.

UNC-Greensboro transfer Nirav Kadam and freshman Pete Caringi led the Retrievers with four points each. Kadam scored one goal and had two assists while Caringi scored two goals in his first career game.

“We know we got some guys who are capable of scoring goals but obviously it was the first game and obviously guys had their chances and Andrew and Levi are going to get their chances,” Caringi said.

Thought Kadam is new to the team, he’s not new to the team. Kadam transferred to UMBC last spring in order to have more time to learn the team’s playing style and a chance learn the tendencies of the other players, and that extra four months of practice really look to be a big help for his already quality game.

“I wanted to come in the spring and learn their style of play and their players,” Kadam said. “It was a great opportunity to come in the spring and just have fun with the guys.”

But more impressively was Caringi, who in his first career game looked like an established senior. While he missed a few chances to score more goals, his two goals both came off pure hustle, and good finishing of course.

His first goal was nearly a nixed play. Kinglsey Onwuka passed the ball inside to Caringi just a few feet in front of the goal. Caringi nearly missed the shot but he slide the ball around the goalkeeper and got it in the far front corner of the goal. His second on came off a blocked shot from Bulls, which he sprinted up the field to clean up for.

The coaches son might wind up starting is he plays like he did against VMI again.

“We should expect what we did today- a lot of goals,” Caringi said. “We’re going to miss over opportunities but we’re going to have a lot more. Our defense give us good through balls and our midfield works hard, and we’re all good at finishing.”

The third member of that impact trio was Danny Shannon, a senior transfer from American University. Shannon scored the games first goal at 18:55. After Kadam kicked the ball up to Houapeu, Houapeu paced the ball perfectly and Shannon shot it without even looking, and sure enough it went in to the upper left corner of the goal.

Shannon returned the favor as those three were in on another goal, but this time it was Shannon who flicked the Kadam pass to Houapeu for the goal.

While the offense showed they are just as good, if not better, as least year’s unit, the midfield and defense had a few breakdowns. After leading 3-0 at halftime Coach Pete Caringi made a goalie change, replacing starter Phil Saunders with Dan Louisignau in order to get him some playing time on the field after having of redshirt in 2009 because of a torn labrum.

Louisignau allowed three goals, but not all of them were is fault, the defense appeared to be “winded” according to Caringi, mostly because of the “very hot and very humid” temperatures.”

“I just thought it was some communication problems, it was a mental let down,” Caringi said.

Fortunately for UMBC is they have a long season to improve that, and as players get back healthy they should be back to where they left off last year.

“I don’t think we can tell yet how good our offense is going to be or in turn how good out defense is going to be,” Caringi said.