Nov. 20, 2004
Nov. 19, 2004
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Up Next: The No. 1 University of New Mexico men’s soccer team will host its first ever NCAA Tournament game on Tuesday, November 23, at 7:00 p.m. (M.S.T.). The Lobos are seeded 13th in the Tournament, despite the top-ranking, and will face the Portland Pilots (12-7-2, 6-5-1 WCC) on November 20, at 7:00 p.m. (M.S.T.). The Lobos qualified for the NCAA’s by winning the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular season championship. This will be their third trip to the Tournament in the last four years and New Mexico’s (16-1-1, 10-1-1 MPSF) second Tournament appearance under current head coach Jeremy Fishbein. Portland came from behind to defeat Washington, 5-3, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, November 19. The Lobos are trying to advance to the thrid round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
Portland Pilots (12-7-2, 6-5-1 WCC)
Location: Portland, Ore.
Conference: West Coast
Head Coach: Bill Irwin (Portland `94)
Record at UP: 22-16-3 (2nd Year)
Career Record: same
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Starters Returning/Lost: 8/3
2003 Record: 10-9-1 (NCAA 2nd Round)
2003 Conference Record: 4-4-1 (3rd)
UNM vs. UP: First Meeting
Top Goal Scorer: Alejandro Salazar (7)
Top Assists: Alejandro Salazar (8)
Top Goalie: Luis Robles (1.15 g.a.a., 7 shutouts)
Notes: Portland earned an at-large bid for its fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. Alejandro Salazar was the 2003 WCC Player of the Year and leads the team with seven goals and eight assists. Portland defeated MPSF member Sacramento State, 4-0, on September 4. The Pilots lost twice to Loyola Marymount, a team UNM defeated, 3-0, on September 10.
Web Site: www.PortlandPiltos.com
Notes on Portland: The Pilots played eight ranked teams and eight NCAA Tournament teams this season. They posted a 4-6-1 record against Tournament teams and a 4-3-1 record against ranked foes. Sophomore keeper Luis Robles and junior defender Josh Brown are 2004 1st Team All-WCC members, while defender Michael Gavin was the WCC Freshman of the Year. The Pilots have scored 34 goals on the year, while allowing 25. Portland has had a .500 or better record for the last 22 years. UP finished fourth in the WCC with a 6-5-1 record.
Tickets: Tickets for Tuesday’s second round game against Portland are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for youth and students. Tickets can be purchased at the game or at the UNM Ticket Office. Tickets can also be purchased by calling (505) 925-LOBO or by visiting www.UNMTickets.com.
Senior keeper Andrew Weber has not allowed a goal at home this season. |
The Field: The NCAA men’s soccer tournament is made up of 48 teams with the top 16 teams earning seeds and a first round bye. The top-16 teams also host second-round games. The Lobos are seeded 13th in the tournament and are guaranteed at least one game at the UNM Soccer Complex. The semifinals and finals of the College Cup will be held in Carson, Calif., at the Home Depot Center on December 10 and 12.
Highest Ever Ranking: With a win over San Jose State last week, the Lobos take over No. 1 in Soccer America’s top-25 for the first time in school history. UNM is also currently ranked third in the NSCAA top-25 and the CollegeSoccerNews.com top-30. They are sixth in the Soccer Times top-25 and received a first place vote. The Lobos are 25-9-3 all-time when ranked in the top-30. New Mexico is also second in this week’s Far West Region top-10.
2004 MPSF Champs: The Lobos posted a 16-1-1 record during the regular season, including a 10-1-1 mark in MPSF action, earning their second MPSF regular season title in three years. Since the MPSF eliminated the post season tournament this year, New Mexico gains the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the regular season title.
Rowland and Boyens Name co-Players of the Year: Junior forward Jeff Rowland and sophomore defender Andrew Boyens were named the 2004 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation co-Players of the Year. Rowland led the league in scoring with 18 goals and five assists, while Boyens anchored the league’s best defense. This was the first conference player of the year award given to a Lobo in school history.
Eight Lobos Make the All-MPSF Team: A total of eight Lobos earned all conference honors this season. Along with Boyens and Rowland, junior midfielder Lance Watson and senior keeper Andrew Weber made the first team. Junior midfielder Brandon Moss was a second team honoree. Junior defender Ben Ashwill and senior midfielders Hans Bevers and Jeff Krause all earned honorable mention all-MPSF honors.
Junior Lance Watson was a 1st All-MPSf selection this season. |
Best Record: The Lobos are the only one-loss team in the NCAA, posting a 16-1-1 record so far this season. They also have the highest winning percentage in the NCAA at .917.
Lobos in the Dance: UNM will make it’s third trip to the Tournament in four years. The Lobos advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament both years they qualified, posting a 2-2-0 record overall. Senior keeper Andrew Weber has played every minute of every Lobo NCAA game, allowing four goals and a 1.00 g.a.a. Junior forward Jeff Rowland scored a goal in 2002 in a 2-1, win over Bradley and is one of two Lobos to score in the NCAA Tournament.
Rowland 2nd in the NCAA in Goals Per Game: Junior Jeff Rowland has racked up 18 goals and 41 points in 18 games this season. He leads the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in scoring and goals. He is second in the NCAA with a 1.00 goals-per-game average and is fourth in the nation with 2.28 points-per-game. Rowland’s 18 goals is also the second highest single season mark in UNM history. The school record for goals in a season is 19, set by Edmundo Rodriguez (1991-92) in 1992. His 41 points are the most ever by a Lobo in one season.
Tough at Home: The Lobos have won 10-straight matches at the UNM Soccer Complex. The have also posted a 22-1-2 record at home under head coach Jeremy Fishbein. In 2004, UNM is 8-0-0 and has only allowed one goal on their home turf.
Record Breaking Defense: New Mexico’s back five of senior keeper Andrew Weber, sophomore Andrew Boyens and juniors Ben Ashwill, Ricky Francis and Matt Wootton have been near perfect this season. The Lobos have posted a school-record 11 shutouts in 2004 and also had a scoreless streak of 466:53 minutes that stretched over eight games and included a program-high six consecutive shutouts. The team’s 0.54 goals-against-average is fifth in the NCAA while their 0.61 shutout percentage ranks. Their 11 shutouts is also tied for fourth in the nation. UNM’s season record for g.a.a. is 0.77 set in 1983, their first year of competition. That year they also allowed a program-low 11 goals on the season.
Weber’s Experience in the NCAA’s: Senior keeper Andrew Weber has played all 360 minutes of Lobo NCAA games. He has allowed four goals and posts a 1.00 g.a.a. He has one shutout and 20 saves in the Lobos’ four NCAA Tournament games.
Danaher Named to All-Freshman Team: Lobo freshman forward Blake Danaher earned a spot on the Top Drawer Soccer All-Freshman 3rd team for the 2004 season. Danaher is currently tied for third on the team in scoring with five goals and four assists. He has come off the bench in all 17 of the Lobos’ matches and has made a huge impact on the squad in his first season.
New Attendance Mark Set: The Lobos set a new attendance mark at the UNM Soccer Complex on Sunday, September 19, in their 1-0, double-overtime win over No. 1 Indiana. 4,412 fans spun the turnstiles to break the previous record set on September 12, 1997, when 4,352 fans saw the Lobos defeat Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2-0. New Mexico’s overall home game attendance record was set on September 23, 1989, when 7,449 fans saw No. 4 UCLA defeat UNM, 2-0, in University Stadium. The Lobos also had the third largest crowd at the UNM Soccer Complex on Saturday for their, 3-0, win over Columbia when 3,327 fans showed up for the game. Four of the Lobos’ seven home games have had crowds of 2,300 or larger and New Mexico is averaging 2,369 fans per game.
Lobos Knock Off No. 1 Indiana: Freshman Blake Danaher scored off an assist from junior Ben Ashwill with 13 second left in the second overtime to give the Lobos a 1-0, win over top-ranked Indiana on Sunday, September 19. The win was the first over a top-ranked team for New Mexico. UNM improved to 10-25-0 against ranked teams, including two wins this season.