Nov. 5, 2004
The second-ranked Lobo men’s soccer team improved to 14-1-1 (8-1-1 MPSF) on the season with a 5-1, trouncing of San Jose State (5-11-1, 4-6-0 MPSF) in San Jose, Calif., tonight. Four different Lobos scored in the match, to go along an own-goal against the Spartans, as New Mexico moves just one win away from clinching its third Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title in the last four years.
UNM started off in the 26th minute when junior Brandon Moss found the back of the net for the first time this season. He fired a shot at the lower left corner of the goal that beat Spartan keeper Daniel Benton, giving New Mexico a 1-0 lead. Junior Lance Watson and senior Jeff Krause were both awarded assists on the play. It was the fourth assist for Watson and the second for Krause.
Sophomore Ben Gantenbein scored his first assist of the season. |
The Lobos came back five minutes later when senior Hans Bevers hooked up with freshman Blake Danaher for the score in the 31st minute. Danaher took the ball down the left side and sent in a cross that Bevers put away for his second goal of the year. It was the fourth assist of the season for Danaher.
Just over a minute later, the Spartan defense had a miscue that led to an own-goal. San Jose State’s error gave UNM a 3-0, halftime lead.
New Mexico struck first in the second period when senior Pat Grange took a shot from 25 yards out in the 68th minute. Grange’s high shot sailed over Benton’s head for his fifth goal of the year.
The Spartans managed to get off 11 shots against the Lobo defense in the match. One of those attempts ruined UNM’s would-be school-record 10th shutout of the season when Tim McKinney scored in the 70th minute. However, the Lobo lead was still very comfortable at 4-1.
UNM added one more score with less than a minute left to play. Junior Erik Bagwell broke through for the second time this season off an assist from sophomore Ben Gantenbein. It was Gantenbein’s first assist of the year.
Junior Erik Bagwell scored his second goal of the season tonight. |
New Mexico’s 14 wins on the season tie the second highest win total in school history. The most wins in a season came in 2002 – head coach Jeremy Fishbein’s first year – when the Lobos posted a 18-4-0 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
UNM will next travel to Sacramento, Calif., to face Sacramento State on Sunday, November 7, at 2:00 p.m. (M.S.T.). A win against the Hornets (5-10-1, 4-6-0 MPSF) would wrap up the MPSF regular season title for New Mexico, earning the Lobos their third trip to the NCAA Tournament in four years.