UNC Wilmington was in great position to beat UMBC during the first game of the 2026 college soccer season. And then it was ruled a no contest due to weather.
The first 83 minutes of the season did not count.
The Seahawks ended up on the wrong end of the college soccer rulebook. They were seven minutes away from their first win.
UNC Wilmington held a 2-1 lead over UMBC.
Neither UNC Wilmington nor UMBC are expected to compete for a national title this season. Both programs are coming off of a .500 or worse record in 2025. Neither program received a single top 25 vote in the first poll of the preseason.
Therefore, every win matters. They are hard to come by!
The Seahawks opened the regular season at home on Thursday against the Retrievers. Kickoff was moved up to 1:00 p.m. because of the threat of weather. It got underway as planned in the pouring rain. UNC Wilmington took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
This is where things get interesting. UMBC tied the game at one goal each in the 69th minute.
GOOOOOOALLL! EHART TIES IT IN THE 69TH!#RetrieverNation
— UMBC Men's Soccer (@UMBCMensSoccer) August 20, 2026
📺: https://t.co/fQevEsgT66
📈: https://t.co/hP0nBuAV7D pic.twitter.com/1Bhk0PmFcU
And then it went into a weather delay because of lightning in the area. Games can be played in the rain. Not with lightning.
Fortunately, play got back underway about 30 minutes later. The Retrievers had a goal disallowed due to offsides, which gave the Seahawks a chance to take the lead on the quick restart. UNC Wilmington went up 2-1 with 17:53 remaining in the second half.
Unfortunately, the game went into another weather delay shortly thereafter.
The college soccer game was ruled a no contest and will not count.
A lightning delay in the 83rd minute cast doubt on the conclusion of the season-opener. The lightning did not stop. There was no sign of stopping. The radar was grim.
Because three hours of time had passed from the first delay, which took place at ~3:00 p.m., the game was canceled around 6:00 p.m. It was ruled a no contest.
Rule 7.7.4 reads as follows: “Games that have progressed to 70 minutes or beyond with a margin of three (3) or more goals will be considered final if the game is suspended and cannot be resumed on the same day. If the margin is less than three (3) goals after 70 minutes or the game has not progressed to 70 minutes, the game will either be resumed at a later date or considered a no contest.”
Even though UNC Wilmington held a one-goal lead with seven minutes left to play, it did not get the win. Even though UMBC trailed by one goal with seven minutes left to play, it did not get the loss. The game never happened. 83 minutes didn’t count.
Both teams are still undefeated at 0-0 after the first game of the season. Rather, the first 83 minutes of the season.