BURLINGTON, Vt. -- UMBC senior midfielder Kadeem Dacres headed home the game-winning goal with 12 seconds to play in regulation time as the visiting Retrievers rallied for a dramatic 2-1 victory at Vermont’s Virtue Field.
The eighth-ranked Retrievers won in Burlington for the first time since 2004 and improved to 11-1-1 overall and 2-0-1 in America East play. Vermont (7-3-3, 1-2-0) lost for the first time at home (5-1-1) in 2013.
UMBC drew a foul 30 yards from the goal with 25 seconds remaining in the half. Junior midfielder Mamadou Kansaye took the kick and sent a low drive deep into the box. Dacres just got in front of Vermont goalkeeper Conor Leland and skimmed it off his head and into the net.
The goal was Dacres’ sixth of the season, surpassing the five he put up a year ago, his first in a UMBC uniform.
The Retrievers improved to 4-0-0 on the road in 2013 and are now unbeaten in their last eight road contests (6-0-2), tying an all-time school record.
UMBC outshot their hosts, 7-3, in the second half and 11-8 for the contest.
Vermont countered moments when Noah Johnson struck a drive from 20 yards out and UMBC goalkeeper Phil Saunders answered with an diving stop at the near right post. The Retriever netminder also punched away a DeFeo short range header later in the half after one of Vermont’s five first half corners.
Saunders finished with two saves, but did not have to make any in the final 45 minutes. Leland finished with four saves for the Catamounts.
