Oct. 29, 2005
The second-ranked University of New Mexico men’s soccer team had another dominating performance against UNLV with a 4-0 win in Las Vegas, Nev., today. The Lobos improve to 12-1-1 on the year and are in second place in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with a 4-1-1 mark in league play.
After pounding the Rebels, 7-2, last weekend, a let-down could have been expected in today’s match. The Rebels (2-13-0, 0-6-0 MPSF) were without two key players in the first match, but New Mexico used three second-half scores to put away today’s contest. The Lobos defeated UNLV for the fourth consecutive time, outscoring the Rebels 17-2 in that span.
The Lobos first strike came in the 23rd minute when senior Hermann Trophy Candidate Jeff Rowland took a free-kick from 22 yards out. Rowland fired a bullet to the left of the wall that deflected off a defender and past Rebel keeper Brett Hafeman. It was Rowland’s MPSF-leading 12th tally of the season. That was the only strike of the half and New Mexico took a 1-0 lead into the locker room.
New Mexico added another score just six minutes into the second period when freshman Brandon Barklage played a long ball to Rowland ion the box. Rowland dropped off the pass six yards from the net for an open shot by Senior Cody Hanna. Hanna beat Hafeman for his fourth goal of the year and a 2-0 lead. It was fourth assist for Barklage and the second gift by Rowland on the season.
Rowland now has four goals in his last two games, all against UNLV. His 41 career scores is three behind Mike Strati (1991-94) for second place all-time at UNM. Rowland also has 94 career points, third all-time at New Mexico, but trails Strati by 12 in that category.
UNM scored again in the 61st minute when junior Lars Loeseth played a long ball to the speedy Blake Danaher. Danaher, a sophomore forward, beat the Rebel defense to the ball and put away his first goal of the season for the 3-0 lead. It was also the fourth assist of the year for Loeseth, an All-American member of UNM’s Ski Team. Danaher had been slow out of the gate after scoring five goals and four assists as a freshman in 2004.
The Lobos capped off the day with a goal by senior Lance Watson in the 87th minute. Watson scores in the second-straight game and records his third goal of the season. He now has 22 career goals and trails Mario Picazo (1983-85) by one goal for fifth all-time at UNM.
“We played with a purpose today,” stated UNM head coach Jeremy Fishbein. “Things are coming together for us and we are finishing our chances. We are playing quality soccer and we are looking to move forward the rest of the season.”
The Lobo defense recorded their ninth shutout of the season. Sophomore Mike Graczyk has been credited with all nine shutouts on the year. He ties Andrew Weber (2004) and Greg Hess (1997) for the most Lobos shutouts by a keeper in a single season.The Lobos next game will be a tough one as they look for revenge against MPSF leading San Jose State (9-4-2, 5-1-0 MPSF). The Spartans handed the Lobos their only loss of the season and a rare defeat at the UNM Soccer Complex in a 3-2 overtime game on Oct. 14. The Spartan-Lobo rematch is set for Friday, Nov. 4, at 8:00 p.m. (M.S.T.) in San Jose, Calif. New Mexico’s next home game is their final Friday Night match of the season on Nov. 11 against Denver at 7:00 p.m. (M.S.T.) at the UNM Soccer Complex.