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Albuquerque, N.M. – The University of New Mexico men’s soccer team advanced to the finals of the 2002 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships tonight with a, 3-2, win over Denver in Albuquerque. The Lobos got scores from three players in the win tonight, including senior Javier Carrasco and freshmen Erik Bagwell and Jeff Rowland.
The Lobos got on the board early in the contest when Carrasco connected on his fourth score of the season in the fifth minute of play. Freshman Lance Watson took a corner kick that fellow freshman Ben Ashwill back-tapped to Carrasco who found the back of the net. The goal ignited the lively crowd of over 700 Lobo fans who braved the cold and wind at the UNM Soccer Complex.
Things got interesting in the 23rd minute when Pioneer Nic Hartman found Nat Borchers for the game-tying score. However, just before halftime, Bagwell took the lead back for the Lobos when fellow freshman Matt Wootton fed him with a perfect cross. Bagwell chested in the shot for his first career goal and a 2-1 lead at intermission.
New Mexico kept the pressure on early in the second half when Watson and Rowland hooked up for Watson’s eighth assist and Rowland’s second goal of the season. The strike came in the 53rd minute and gave the Lobos a 3-1 lead.
Denver would get one more score when Christian Bowers put in an assist from Robert Rice in the 74th minute. Despite pulling their goalie in the final minute, the Pioneers could not break through the Lobo defense for the equalizing goal.
New Mexico (16-3-0) advances to the finals of the MPSF Tournament to face second-seeded San Jose State (12-8-0) at 1:00 p.m. at the UNM Soccer Complex. The Spartans defeated UNLV (12-8-1) earlier in the evening, 3-3 (5-4 PK’s).
|Team|1st|2nd|OT|OT|Total||#5 Denver|1|1|-|-|2||#1 New Mexico|2|1|-|-|3|
Scoring SummaryUNM – 4:20 Javier Carrasco (4), Assits Lance Watson (7), Ben Ashwill (2)Watson takes takes the corner to Ashwill who one touched it to Carrasco for the score.DEN – 22:51 Nat Borchers(6), Assist Nic Hartman (4)UNM – 43:18 Erik Bagwell (1), Assist Matt Wootton (1)Crossed from the left, one-touch from 5 yards.UNM – 52:28 Jeff Rowland (2), Assist Lance WatsonDEN – 73:17 Christian Bowers (3), Assist Robert Rice (3)
Final Statistical Summary|Statistic|DEN|UNM| |Overall Shots|13|9| |Shots on Goal|4|4| |Offsides|1|4||Corner Kicks|5|3||Fouls|15|14|1q