Jan. 28, 2005
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Since taking over as head coach of the University of New Mexico men’s soccer team in 2002, Jeremy Fishbein has stated that his goal is to make Lobo Soccer one of the elite programs in the country. Based on the 2004 season, Fishbein and the Lobos have reached that goal in record-breaking fashion.
UNM finished the 2004 campaign with a 17-1-2 record and their second Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular season title in three years. New Mexico also advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. The Lobos’ 17 wins are second in school history only to the 18 posted in 2002, Fishbein’s first season as head coach.
After finishing with a disappointing 8-9-3 record in 2003, the Lobos started the 2004 season ranked No. 28 in the CollegeSoccerNews.com top-30. Things did not start well for UNM, opening up on the road against Delaware in Richmond, Va. New Mexico found itself down 2-0 just 10 minutes into their season opener against the Blue Hens. However, junior Jeff Rowland erased that lead with the first hat-trick by a Lobo in five years and the 3-2 win. UNM went on to win the Nike/ALLTELL Classic by defeating host No. 13 Virginia-Commonwealth 2-1 in overtime. Rowland added both goals in that game and was named the CollegeSoccerNews.com National Player of the Week.
Senior Andrew Weber was a 1-st Team All-MPSF selection and his 0.55 g.a.a. ranked fifth in the NCAA. He leaves UNM as the all-time leader in shutouts, goalie wins, saves, games played and minutes played at UNM. |
In previous seasons, UNM had struggled on the road, but that was not the case in 2004. The Lobos went on to the Matador Soccer Invitational in Northridge, Calif., and defeated Loyola Marymount and Cal State Northridge, a pair of teams that would eventually advance to the NCAA Tournament.
New Mexico opened its home schedule with the adidas/Cresecnt Financial Solutions Invitational at the UNM Soccer Complex. The Lobos started a six-game shutout streak with a 3-0 win over Columbia. Then New Mexico scored one of the biggest regular-season wins in the 22-year history of the program. With just seconds left in the second overtime, freshman Blake Danaher scored off a pass from junior Ben Ashwill and shocked top-ranked and eventual national champion Indiana 1-0 on September 19. A total of 4,412 screaming Lobo fans spun the turnstiles for that game, the largest crowd in UNM Soccer Complex history.
UNM blew through the MPSF schedule, posting a 10-1-1 record in conference play. Senior Day at the UNM Soccer Complex on November 14 is always a special event, but four-year reserve Jeremy Brown ended his career in highlight-reel fashion. With just minutes left in the contest against San Jose State, Brown fired home a pass from Rowland for the only goal of his career. UNM went on to shutout the Spartans 2-0, capping off the second MPSF title in school history. Both of UNM’s regular season MPSF championships have come under Fishbein’s watch. UNM finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in Soccer America’s Top-25, posting a 4-0-0 record against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Head Coach Jeremy Fishbein was named the 2004 National Coach of the Year by Soccer America Magazine. |
Despite the nation’s best record and a No. 1 ranking, New Mexico was seeded 13th in the NCAA Tournament. After receiving a first-round bye, the Lobos hosted an NCAA Tournament game for the first time on November 23 and proceeded to thump Portland 4-1 in the second round. UNM finished the season with a perfect 9-0-0 record at home and was second in the NCAA in attendance, averaging 2,379 fans per game. Under Fishbein, New Mexico has posted an amazing 23-1-2 record at the UNM Soccer Complex and has been in the top-10 in attendance each of the last three years.
UNM next traveled to Charlottesville, Va., for a match against the Virginia Cavaliers. The Lobos went toe-to-toe with the traditional powerhouse, tying the Cavs 1-1 in regulation. Unfortunately for New Mexico, their run ended on penalty-kicks, falling to UVa 6-5.
After the conclusion of the season, awards, accolades and honors started pouring in for the New Mexico soccer program. On the defensive side of the field, UNM broke a school record with 11 shutouts, including a scoreless streak of 466:53 that stretched over eight games. Anchoring the defense were Ashwill, juniors Ricky Francis and Matt Wootton, sophomore Andrew Boyens and senior keeper Andrew Weber. Boyens, a transfer from Dunedin, New Zealand, took home the MPSF co-Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards. Weber was named to the MPSF 1st Team, while both players earned spots on the All-Far West Region 2nd Team. Ashwill joined Boyens and Weber on the All-MPSF team, taking home honorable mention honors. Weber, a four-year starter in goal, leaves UNM as the school’s all-time leader in games played (83), minutes played (7,681), goalie wins (50), saves (350) and shutouts (25). He also has the distinction of playing every minute of every post-season game in New Mexico soccer history. Weber’s 0.55 goals-against-average ranked fifth in the NCAA, while the team’s 0.56 gaa ranked sixth in the nation.
Senior Hans Bevers led the MPSF with eight assists. He was an honorable mention All-MPSF selection and invited to the MLS SuperDraft Player Combine in January. |
The midfield was also a strong spot for UNM with seniors Jeff Krause and Eric Carlson and juniors Lance Watson and Brandon Moss in the starting line-up. Also seeing significant time were senior Hans Bevers and freshman David Gualdarama. Watson led the group with eight goals and four assists, earning All-MPSF 1st Team honors. Moss garnered his third All-MPSF selection, making the 2nd Team. Both Watson and Moss were all-region selections, with Watson making the 1st Team and Moss making the 2nd Team. Bevers led the MPSF with eight assists and was named honorable mention All-MPSF. Krause scored two goals and three assists and also was honorable mention All-MPSF. Both Krause and Bevers became the first Lobos to be invited to Major League Soccer’s pre-draft combine.
Rowland led the Lobo attack with one of the most spectacular offensive outputs in school history. He scored a school-record 45 points and tied the Lobo season record with 19 goals. He was named 1st Team All-America by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and 2nd Team All-America by CollegeSoccerNews.com. He joined Boyens as the MPSF co-Player of the Year and finished the season third in the NCAA in goals per game and points per game. Joining Rowland at the forward position were senior Patrick Grange, junior Erik Bagwell and Danaher. Grange scored eight goals and four assists with three goals coming in the NCAA Tournament. Danaher added five goals and four assists and earned a spot on the Top Drawer Soccer All-Freshman 3rd Team. The Lobo offense finished the season ranked third in the nation, averaging 2.55 points per game.
Senior Eric Carlson was a CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine 1st Team Academic All-American selection in 2004. |
The Lobos also got the job done in the classroom, earning the NSCAA Team Academic award for having over a 3.0 cumulative team grade-point-average in 2004. UNM led the nation with four Lobos making the ESPN the Magazine-CoSIDA Academic All-American team. Rowland and Carlson earned first team honors while Wootton and Ashwill received 2nd Team recognition. Rowland was the only player in the country to earn 1st Team recognition on the NSCAA All-American and ESPN the Magazine-CoSIDA Academic All-Ameircan teams. Rowland also landed on the NSCAA Scholar Athlete All-American 1st Team while Moss took home 2nd Team honors. Seven Lobos were named Academic All-MPSF, including Ashwill, Bagwell, Carlson, Moss, Rowland, Watson and Wottoon.
Capping off the post-season honors was the man at the top. Soccer America Magazine named Fishbein the 2004 National Coach of the Year. The 8.5-game turnaround from the 2003 season was the biggest improvement in the NCAA last season. It marked the first national coach of the year award for a New Mexico soccer coach.
A No. 1 ranking, the best record in the NCAA, a top-10 defense and a top-5 offense are all marks of an elite program. It looks like Fishbein has reached his goal of making Lobo soccer one of the elite programs in the country. However, it is going to take continued hard work and dedication to the program by everyone involved for the Lobos to continue to be one of the best teams in the country.
Senior Jeff Krause was an honorable mention All-MPSF selection and was invited to the MLS SuperDraft Player Combine in January. |
New Mexico says goodbye to seniors Weber, Grange, Krause, Bevers, Carlson and Brown, but will welcome back seven starters in 2005. Their freshman class, four of whom redshirted this season, was ranked 15th in the nation by CollegeSoccerNews.com and will be much improved next season. Look for New Mexico soccer to continue their dominance of the MPSF and improve on a stellar season in 2005.
First Time in the Third Round: New Mexico has advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four years, but this season marked the school’s first trip to the third round. The Lobos traveled to Virginia and tied the Cavaliers, 1-1. UVa. advanced to the quarterfinals on penalty kicks.
Recapping Virginia: The Lobo fell behind 1-0, early in the match but evened the score in the 28th minute when Hans Bevers found Patrick Grange at the top of the box. Grange blasted home his eighth goal of the season, deadlocking the game at 1-1. The contest finihed tied 1-1, but UVa. advanced in the eighth round of PK’s, 6-5.
Highest Ever Ranking: With a win over San Jose State in the final week of the regular season, the Lobos took over No. 1 in Soccer America’s top-25 for the first time in school history. UNM also ranked sixth in the final CollegeSoccerNews.com top-30 and 10th in the final NSCAA top-25. They are sixth in the last Soccer Times top-25 and received a first place vote. The Lobos are 27-9-4 all-time when ranked in the top-30. New Mexico also finshed second in the 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 gained the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the regular season title.
Fishbein Earns National Coach of the Year: Soccer America Magazine recognized Lobo head coach Jeremy Fishbein as the 2004 National Coach of the Year. It is the first such award given to a UNM men’s soccer head coach.
Senior Patrick Grange scored three goals in the NCAA Tournament in 2004. |
Rowland Named 1st Team All-American: Junior Jeff Rowland became the fourth All-American in school history when he earned a spot on the 2004 NSCAA 1st All-American squad. Rowland joins Justin Sells (Soccer America – 1997), Mike Strati (NSCAA – 2nd Team) and Edmundo Rodriguez (NSCAA – 1992) as the only Lobos to land on an All-American team. He also earned a spot on the CollegeSoccerNews.com 2nd-Team All-American squad.
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 19 goals and seven assists, while Boyens anchored the league’s best defense. This is the first conference player of the year award given to a Lobo in school history.
Five Lobos Earn All-Far West Region Honors: Juniors Jeff Rowland and Lance Watson were named to the All-Far West region first team for their performance in the 2004 season. Senior Andrew Weber and sophomore Andrew Boyens were named to the 2nd team, while junior Brandon Moss was a third team selection. The Lobos’ picks to the All-Far West team were the most by any team in the region.
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.
Best Record: The Lobos finished the season as the only one-loss team in the NCAA, posting a 17-1-2 record in 2004. They also had the highest winning percentage in the NCAA at .900. UNM finished one win shy of their previous program high. The Lobos went 18-4-0 in 2002 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in head coach Jeremy Fishbein’s first season.
Senior Jeremy Brown ended his career in storybook fashion. He scored the only goal of his career in the final 10 minutes against San Jose State in the last home game of his career. |
Rowland 3rd in the NCAA in Goals Per Game: Junior Jeff Rowland has racked up 19 goals and 45 points in 20 games this season. He led the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in scoring and goals. He finished third in the NCAA with a 0.95 goals-per-game average and was third in the nation with 2.25 points-per-game. Rowland’s 19 goals ties the Lobos’ single season mark, set by Edmundo Rodriguez (1991-92) in 1992. His 45 points are the most ever by a Lobo in one season.
Tough at Home: The Lobos have won 11-straight matches at the UNM Soccer Complex. The have also posted a 23-1-2 record at home under head coach Jeremy Fishbein. In 2004, UNM went 9-0-0 and only allowed two goals 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 were near perfect in 2004. The Lobos posted a school-record 11 shutouts 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 0.58 goals-against-average was sixth in the NCAA while their 0.55 shutout percentage also ranked sixth. Their 11 shutouts tied for fourth in the nation. The 0.58 goals-against-average is a new program-low for UNM
Weber’s Experience in the NCAA’s: Senior keeper Andrew Weber has played all 560 minutes of Lobo NCAA games. He allowed six goals and posted a 0.96 g.a.a. He has one shutout and 25 saves in the Lobos’ six 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 was fourth on the team in scoring with five goals and four assists. He came off the bench in all 20 of the Lobos’ matches and 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, September 18, for their 3-0, win over Columbia when 3,327 fans showed up for the game. Five of the Lobos’ eight home games had crowds of 2,300 or larger and New Mexico averaged 2,379 fans per game in 2004.
Four Starters Earn Academic All-American: Four of the Lobos starters were named ESPN Academic All-Americans for the 2004 season. Senior Eric Carlson and junior Jeff Rowland were named to the first team, while juniors Ben Ashwill and Matt Wootton earned spots on the second team. New Mexico was the only program with two players on both the first and second teams and the only school with more than two players on any of the three Academic All-American teams.
Two lobos Invited to MLS Combine: Seniors Jeff Krause and Hans Bevers were invited to the 2005 adidas/Major League Soccer player combine on January 8-11 at the Home Depot Center in Carson,Calif.Seven Earn Academic All-MPSF Honors: The Lobos put seven players on the 2004 Academic All-MPSF team, including Ben Ashwill, Erik Bagwell, Eric Carlson, Brandon Moss, Jeff Rowland, Matt Wootton, and Lance Watson. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have completed his second year at the school, have a 3.0 g.p.a. and compete in at least helf of the team’s games.
No 2. in Attendance in the NCAA: UNM averaged 2,379 fans per game at the UNM Soccer Complex in the 2004 season. That mark was the second-highest home-game average in the country in 2004.five Lobos Make NSCAA scholar All-West region: Of the 11 student athletes selected to the NSCAA Scholar All-West Region 1st Team, five were from the University of New Mexico. Senior Erci Carlson, juniors Ben Ashwill, Brandon Moss, Jeff Rowland and Matt Wootton were all selected.