By: Corey Johns

While none of the games count towards anything, the men’s soccer season looks to be improving after a last place finish in the America East Conference having finished their spring schedule with a 5-1-2 record.
Last fall the men’s soccer team was riddled with injuries and full of inexperience but look much improved after playing a tough spring schedule. With the graduation of six players there were many question marks of who will fill those positions. While coach Pete Caringi is bringing in a very deep and talented team highlighted by three players from England, some players made great cases for the jobs next season.
Miguel Calderon did not see any playing time last year in goal as four year starter Steve King played in his final season, but he has recorded four shutouts in the spring. Also, midfielder Dustin Dzwonkowski did see time last season with a few starts, but played every position in the spring. In the seventh game of the spring games Calderon was injured and Dzwonkowski even played in the goal, getting a shutout.
The spring season kicked off against professional Division II Maryland Crystal Palace. While this game was meant to be a tune up game for Crystal Palace who was going into their season, UMBC stunned the pro team with a 1-0 win. Midway through the first half last years leading scorer Andrew Bulls took a free kick for the goal and eventually the win.
UMBC was not done their. In their next game they played a 60 minute match against Navy in which once again Bulls scored and Calderon got the shutout for the 1-0 win. Their lone loss of the spring season came in their next game when they played Virginia Military Institution five minutes after the conclusion of the game against Navy. Despite suffering from fatigue, the Retrievers only lost 1-0.
The team won their next five games to conclude spring games. They trounced Prince Georges Community college 6-0 before having their two ties to College of Southern Maryland and Christos Soccer Club, another professional team.
Aside from the Crystal Palace victory, their next win was their biggest. Sean Rothe scored a goal in the middle of the second half while Dzwonkowski recorded his shutout to beat George Mason 1-0. George Mason won both the CAA regular season and tournament championship and made it to the second round of the NCAA championship to Maryland.
The spring season concluded with the annual alumni game. On the opposing alumni team were four Baltimore Blast players: Guilian Celenza, P.J. Wakefield, Matt Watson, and Brian Moffa; Crystal Palace forward Kevin Gnatiko, and Real Maryland midfielder Dan Bulls for a total of six professionals including four MILS champions. But UMBc did not back down. The Alumni got an early 1-0 lead but UMBC battled back and scored four unanswered goals for the win as Bulls and Dzwonkowski scored two each.
Bulls lead the team with six goals in the spring campaign while Levi Houapeu, John Paul Waraksa, and Dzwonkoski added two each. Jamal Molin, and Rothe each scored one as UMBC outscored opponents 14-3.