UMBC's Cohen named starter for rest of season
In No. 19 UMBC's season opener against No. 18 Delaware Saturday, the Retrievers started senior Kevin Kohri in the net with freshman Adam Cohen playing after halftime in an eventual 11-10 triple overtime loss.
After the game, UMBC coach Don Zimmerman said the team would continue to rotate its goalies for an indefinite period of time.
That time has ended. At a media event in which four Baltimore-area Division I coaches previewed their teams and answered fans' queries during a question-and-answer session at the ESPNZone in the Inner Harbor, Zimmerman announced that Cohen would start for the remainder of the season.
"We’re going to go with Adam Cohen," Zimmerman said. "He’s going to be our starting goalkeeper. I talked to both goalkeepers yesterday, and I just feel that Adam gives us a little bit more outside-the-pipes than Kevin. Kevin’s always been a good stopper for us. His clearing game would probably be considered his weaker point. Adam, I think, has been steady in the goal, but outside the goal, he’s very proficient. And I just sensed that when Adam jumped into the goal for the second half, they [the defense] just felt a little extra spark. It’s a tough situation. Kevin Kohri’s a great kid, and he’s been a terrific team player for us. He’s always been there when we needed him, and that’s why he got the start against Delaware. He did a good job, made some big saves and let just a couple in. But we’ve got to go with what we feel is best for the team, and we feel this is the move we need to make."
Cohen, an Arnold native and Severn graduate, made zero saves and surrendered five goals -- although the eventual game-winning goal by Blue Hens attackman Curtis Dickson wasn't Cohen's fault as it deflected off a UMBC defender's stick and trickled into the net. Meanwhile, Kohri, a Sykesville native and Century graduate, made five stops.
Zimmerman said he would no qualms about inserting Kohri if Cohen struggles.
"As I told Kevin, he [Cohen] is a freshman, things can happen, and you have to stay ready," Zimmerman said. "And he’s proven himself as a more-than-capable backup goalkeeper. So I know now that yeah, we’re going with a freshman, but we’ve got a capable kid ready to fulfill a role that he’s fulfilled for three years."
Other UMBC notes:
*Senior short-stick defensive midfielder Jordan Pierce did not suffer a broken arm as initially feared and could suit up for Saturday's game at Rutgers. Pierce suffered a deep bone bruise on the wrist/forearm area when a Delaware player tried to stick-check the ball away from the Glen Burnie native and Mount St. Joseph graduate, but Pierce practiced with the team Tuesday. "He’s a tough kid who has played with numerous injuries," Zimmerman said. "He’s a kid who can play through pain."
*Sophomore face-off specialist Justin Radebaugh will likely miss Saturday's game due to the lingering effects from a concussion he suffered during practice last week. Without Radebaugh, the Retrievers will lean on junior J.D. Harkey, who won 9-of-23 face-offs against Blue Hens senior Tommy Lee, who ranked third in Division I last spring in face-off percentage. "You don’t mess with concussions," Zimmerman said. "But it is what it is, and J.D. is a very hard worker. He’s very dedicated, and he wants to get in there and do a good job for the team. As a result, he’s getting better. So right now, he’s our starting face-off man."
*After Dickson scored his sixth goal with 1:52 left in the fourth quarter, UMBC switched its defensive assignments, matching senior defenseman Bobby Atwell up against Dickson. Dickson scored just one more time, and Atwell, a Dunkirk native and Southern graduate, wasn't even on him. Zimmerman said any lingering concerns about Atwell's health after undergoing surgery last year to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee are gone. "Bobby’s 100 percent ready to go," he said. "In fact, we should’ve put Bobby on Dickson earlier. Bobby in the Navy scrimmage [earlier in the month] re-injured his knee. No tear or anything, just a deep bruise, and so we decided to really nurse him back and have him ready for the first game, and that’s why he didn’t start. But Bobby Atwell is our best defenseman, and I’ve always believed that you put your best on their best. So I think we’ve gotten through that now. Bobby’s ready to go. He’s eager to go, and he wants this team to be successful, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make this team successful. … So I think Bobby is ready to go, and he’ll start for us and cover who we feel is the other team’s best attackman."
