UMBC has a 13-2 advantage all time in this series with Binghamton, but the America East Conference rivals have split their past four meetings. The Retrievers are 0-1 at home after losing to Towson, 11-7, a week ago, while the Bearcats improved to 1-1 on the road after defeating Delaware, 11-7, on Sunday.
Binghamton (1-3) is seeking its first winning streak since reeling off four straight victories in April. Sunday's win against the Blue Hens was backstopped by sophomore goalkeeper Tanner Cosens. In his first start of the season, Cosens made 14 saves, including eight in the first half.
UMBC (2-3) is looking to start its America East schedule with its seventh victory in the past eight openers. The offense, which is one of six in Division I that has yet to score 10 goals in a game, has been paced by junior attackman Nate Lewnes. The St. Mary's graduate has nine goals and is the only player to score at least once in each game thus far.
Here are a few factors that could play a role in the outcome at UMBC Stadium at noon Saturday.
1) Marking Tucker Nelson. The Bearcats' 13-7 victory over the Retrievers last season was fueled by Nelson's two goals and four assists, and the senior attackman has been just as prolific this spring. He leads the team in assists (11) and points (17) and tied a program record for assists (six) and set a career high in points (seven) in the win against Delaware. UMBC coach Don Zimmerman pointed out that Nelson was absent from Binghamton's 16-10 loss to the Retrievers in the America East tournament semifinal last year.
"We're certainly going to be aware of him both on and off the ball," Zimmerman said of Nelson. "He's a playmaker, he's a feeder. He's smart, he's savvy, he makes things happen. The ball goes through him."
2) Maximizing man-up chances. The Retrievers' ineffectiveness on offense has not been helped by an extra-man offense that has converted just 18.8 percent (3-for-16) of its opportunities, one of the worst marks in the country. The unit has shuffled through handful of players to find a lineup that can increase its production. If UMBC does get some man-up chances on Saturday, it will do so against a Bearcats defense ranked 64th in short-handed situations.
"We want to be effective," Zimmerman said. "I don't look at stats and say, 'Oh, boy, this is when we should be effective.' Every game's a new game. We just want to be solid and give ourselves an opportunity to cash in on what we hope to be some high-percentage shots. Our shooting percentage has gone up, and I think that's hurt us early in the season. We weren't putting our shots on target, and if they're not on target, they don't have a chance to go in."
3) Collecting turnovers. The Retrievers' defense overall has been average, but the unit has thrived at causing turnovers. UMBC ranks 27th in the nation with an average of 7.2 takeaways per game. That might be an advantage against most opponents, but Binghamton ranks second in turnovers per game (10.8). Zimmerman said his primary focus is on making sure UMBC pounces on turnovers and loose balls when they become available.
"I would say it's because of the effectiveness we've had in sliding and putting the ball on the ground. That's part one," he said. "Part two is picking it off the ground. For instance, against Towson, there were times when we did put the ball on the ground, but they got them, and those are the ones you've got to get. If they're going to put the ball on the ground, we've got to finish the play."