Nov. 23, 2004
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The University of New Mexico men’s soccer will make its first-ever appearance in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament after downing Portland, 4-1, at the UNM Soccer Complex tonight. The Lobos (17-1-1) scored four unanswered goals to come from behind for the first time at home this season. Juniors Jeff Rowland and Lance Watson each tallied a goal, while senior Patrick Grange twice found the back of the net in the New Mexico win.
The Pilots (12-8-2) came out of the locker room attacking the Lobo defense. In the opening minutes it took a great deflection by Watson to keep Portland off the board right from kick-off. UP kept the ball on the Lobo side of the field and broke through in the ninth minute. After earning their third corner of the half, Portland’s Sean Babcock fired a cross that rolled out to the top of the box. Heath Pearce fired a bullet from just outside the box that sailed over Lobo keeper Andrew Weber for the score and the 1-0, lead.
Portland’s goal was just the second New Mexico has allowed at home this season, and the first allowed by Weber at the UNM Soccer Complex. The score served as a wake-up call for UNM, who came right back in the 11th minute. Watson took a long pass down the left side and sent a crossing pass to a wide-open Rowland. Rowland fired a shot that was stuffed by Pilot keeper Luis Robles, but Robles couldn’t control the shot. Rowland stayed with the play and fired a shot off another Pilot defender who was trying to cover the open goal, tying the score at 1-1.
Rowland’s goal was his 19th of the year, tying the school record for goals in a season set by Edmundo Rodriguez in 1992. New Mexico and Portland played close for the rest of the half, with the Pilots outshooting UNM, 8-5, in the opening frame. UP also had four corner kicks, compared to none for the home team.
The second period began much as the first ended, with neither team gaining the momentum. However, as time went on, New Mexico mounted a stronger attack, but the Portland defense turned away shot after shot by UNM. The flood gates finally opened in the 83rd minute when senior Jeff Krause and Rowland assisted on a score by Grange. Rowland and Krause played a give-and-go in the box that left Rowland with one defender to beat. He tapped the ball to the left side that a streaking Grange put home for the 2-1 lead.
New Mexico tacked on two more scores in the final five minutes of the game. Grange and Rowland connected again just four minutes after their go ahead goal. Grange’s second goal gave him seven on the season, while Rowland also recorded his seventh goal of the year. Watson capped off the evening with an unassisted goal with less than a minute to play that sent the 2,455 fans in attendance into a frenzy.
The 13th seeded Lobos, ranked No. 1 in the current Soccer America top-25, will next travel to fourth-seeded Virginia for their third round match on Saturday. Game time is still TBA as UNM will make its first ever trip to Charlottesville. UVa. defeated American, 2-1, earlier this evening in their second round game.