Sometimes it is easy to pick out the turning point of a sporting event.

The GW men’s soccer team was leading its match at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County 1-0 Wednesday when freshman goalie Nick Parypinski was ejected for a serious foul outside the penalty area.

A little more than five minutes later, the wheels fell off for the Colonials (1-5) as the Retrievers beat the GW defense and replacement goalie Andreas Kolazas for five goals in the final 35 minutes.

UMBC tied the score at one in the 55th minute on a corner kick headed into the goal by Andy Wells. The Colonials rebounded in the 66th minute when junior Evan Nierman netted a penalty kick to put his team ahead 2-1.

Then the offensive onslaught began. UMBC rattled off four unanswered goals in 16 minutes to turn a tight game into a blowout. Two minutes after GW took the lead, UMBC freshman P.J. Wakefield scored his first collegiate goal on a header to tie the score 2-2.

The Retrievers (4-2) went on top in the 71st minute on another header, this time by Matt Joseph. UMBC added a goal in the 77th minute and one in the 84th minute to turn the outcome of the match into a foregone conclusion.

The Colonials took the early lead in the 11th minute. Junior Enrique Reyes scored the first half’s lone goal off a rebound from a direct kick by Nierman.

UMBC outshot the Colonials for the game 23-9, but GW outshot the Retrievers 7-6 in the first half. Parypinski made four saves and allowed no goals before his ejection early in the second half. Kolazas made three saves but allowed all five of UMBC’s goals.

GW returns to action Saturday and Sunday against Towson University and Drexel University at the George Mason University/Umbro Classic.