BALTIMORE -- For the first time since 2005, 110 minutes was not enough time to decide an America East men's soccer champion. After second-seeded UMBC and fifth-seeded New Hampshire played to a scoreless tie, senior John Paul Waraksa sent his penalty kick attempt into the left side of the net to give UMBC a 5-4 shootout victory and its first-ever America East title on Saturday afternoon at UMBC Soccer Stadium.
Senior Levi Houapeu, who converted one of the Retrievers' five shootout attempts, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. He was joined by teammates Waraksa, Andrew Bulls and Chris Williams on the All-Championship team.
UMBC (11-4-3), which won its first conference title since capturing the NEC crown in 1999, outshot the Wildcats, 6-2, in the first half. Houapeu had the best scoring chance of the period in the 32nd minute as he flew up the left side of the field and struck the ball to the shortside of the goal but America East Goalkeeper of the Year Colin O'Donnell made a diving save.
New Hampshire (9-5-6) almost broke through a few times in the waning minutes of the half. Sophomore Charlie Roche put a header on net in the 38th minute but UMBC goalkeeper Dan Louisignau snagged it out of the air. Just five minutes later, Steven Palumbo rocketed a shot that went just wide of the net and two team went into halftime scoreless.
Neither team had very many scoring opportunites the rest of the way. UMBC's lone shot on goal in the second frame came on an Andrew Bulls blast from 20 yards out in the 55th minute, but O'Donnell, who set an America East Championship record with his third shutout of the tournament, was there to make the save. UNH put three shots on Louisignau, who finished with four stops for the game, and was there each time.
The game went into overtime, the first America East final to do so since Binghamton upended Vermont, 1-0, in extra time in 2006. Each team had one shot in the first OT period and UMBC challenged O'Donnell once in the second session but neither team could stop the game from going to a shootout, the first America East final to decided by penalty kicks since Stony Brook won the title in 2005.
After each team converted its first attempt in the shootout, Louisignau stopped Joe Corsello's attempt and Bulls gave UMBC a 2-1 advantage. O'Donnell, Palumbo and Ryan McNabb followed with conversions for UNH, while Williams and Welsh held serve for UMBC. With the game on the line, Waraksa beat O'Donnell to send the Retrievers to their first NCAA tournament since 1999.
The rest of the all-championship team was made up of O'Donnell, Corsello, UNH's Brad Hilton, Boston University's Ben Berube and Kelvin Madzongwe, Stony Brook University's Raphael Abreu and Wilber Bonilla, Binghamton's Ryan Walter and Vermont's Kyle Leutkehans.
UMBC will learn its NCAA draw on Monday at approximately 4:30 p.m. on ESPNU. Boston University, the America East regular-season champion, will also await word on a possible at-large bid.
All-Championship Team
Andrew Bulls, UMBC
Levi Houapeu, UMBC (Most Outstanding Player)
John Paul Waraksa, UMBC
Chris Williams, UMBC
Joe Corsello, New Hampshire
Brad Hilton, New Hampshire
Colin O'Donnell, New Hampshire
Ben Berube, Boston U.
Kelvin Madzongwe, Boston U.
Raphael Abreu, Stony Brook
Wilber Bonilla, Boston U.
Ryan Walter, Binghamton
Kyle Luetkehans, Vermont