Nov. 30, 2005
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Up Next: The University of New Mexico men’s soccer team has advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. The second-seeded Lobos (16-1-3) will take on the No. 7-seed Cal Bears (14-3-3) on Friday, Dec. 2, 2005, at the UNM Soccer Complex at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth and UNM Students and are available at the UNM Ticket Office at The Pit. Call (505) 925-LOBO for more ticket information. The winner of the match will advance to the College Cup in Cary, N.C., on Dec. 9-11.
New Mexico finished the 2005 regular season with a 15-1-2 record and a No. 1 ranking in the final Soccer Times Top-25, NSCAA Top-25 and CollegeSoccerNews.com Top-30. UNM reached the NCAA Tournament by winning the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular season title. It is the fourth MPSF title and NCAA Tournament appearance for the Lobos in the last five years.
UNM advanced past Wisconsin-Milwaukee on penalty-kicks, 5-3, in the second round. The Lobos gave up two early goals in the match against the Panthers, but battled back to a 2-2 tie after two overtime periods. Sophomore Mike Graczyk made a save in the third round of PKs and junior Lars Loeseth nailed the clincher in the fifth round. The Lobos went on to defeat Cal-State Northridge in third-round action with a 1-0, overtime win at the UNM Soccer Complex. Senior Hermann Trophy semifinalist Jeff Rowland scored the game-winner 34 seconds into the first overtime while Graczyk posted his school-record 12th shutout of the season.
The Bears are making their fifth consecutive postseason appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and the 12th in school history. Cal received an at-large bid after posting a 13-3-2 record in the regular season and a 6-3-1 mark in Pac-10 play, finishing second in the conference for the second-straight year. The Bears are led by Pac-10 Player of the Year Calen Carr who leads the league with 13 goals on the season. Carr, a senior forward, also has four assists and six game-winning strikes. Cal advanced to the third round past Santa Clara on penalty kicks, 5-4, after their game with the Broncos finished in a 0-0 tie. The Bears then came from behind to defeat Wake Forest 3-2, in double-overtime. Carr scored twice while Jeff Serafini added another in the win. Both of Cal’s first two games in the NCAA Tournament were played at home.
No. 7 Seed California Bears (14-3-3, 6-3-1 Pac-10)
Location: Berkeley, Calif.
Conference: Pac-10
Head Coach: Kevin Grimes (SMU `90) – 2005 Pac-10 Coach of the Year
Record at Cal: 68-44-12 (6th Year)
Career Record: same
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2005 Record: 14-3-3
2005 Conference Record: 6-3-1 (2nd)
NCAA Appearances: 12 – 1960, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1985-86, 1996, 2001-05
How Did They Get In: At-Large Bid
UNM vs. Cal: 1-0-0
Last Time: UNM won 1-0 (10-20-91) in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Top Goal Scorer: Calen Carr (13)- 2005 Pac-10 Player of the Year
Top Assists: Luke Sassano (7) – Honorable Mention All-Pac-10Top Goalie: Erik Kronberg (0.51 g.a.a.) – 2nd Team All-Pac-10
Notes: Both the Bears and Lobos played Cal-State Northridge in 2005. UNM defeated the Matadors, 1-0 in overtime, in the third round of the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 26, while Cal tied CSUN, 1-1, at home on Sept. 11. Kronberg ranks sixth in the NCAA in goals-against-average in 2005 while the Cal defense has only allowed 10 goals this season. The Bears were ranked as high as No. 9 in the CollegeSoccerNews.com top-30 at the end of the regular season.
Web Site:www.CalBears.com
UNM In The NCAA Tournament: The Lobos are making their fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in the past five seasons and their second consecutive showing in the third round. UNM won its third MPSF regular season title in the past four years, earning the Federation’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. All four of UNM’s trips to the NCAA Tournament have come in the past five years. In 2001, New Mexico won the MPSF Tournament to earn its first NCAA bid. In longtime head coach Klaus Weber’s final year, UNM defeated Florida International 1-0 in the opening round before falling to No. 1 SMU 2-0 in the second round. In 2002, current head coach Jeremy Fishbein’s first season, the Lobos won the MPSF regular season and tournament titles before defeating Bradley 2-1 in the first round. UNM fell to No. 18 Saint Louis 1-0 in the second round. Last year, the Lobos earned a first-round bye before defeating Portland. They went on to tie No. 4 Virginia on the road, but the Cavaliers advanced on penalty kicks 6-5.
Lobo NCAA Tournament Results
2001 – Head Coach Klaus Weber – 7-12-2, 0-6-1 MPSF
Won MPSF Tournament
1st Round – Dallas, Texas – Nov. 23, 2001
Defeated Florida International – 1-0
2nd Round – Dallas, Texas – Nov. 25 2001
Lost to No. 1 SMU – 2-0
2002 – Head Coach Jeremy Fishbein – 18-4-0, 5-1-0 MPSF
Won MPSF Regular Season and Tournament
Final National Ranking – No. 27 (CollegeSoccerNews.com)
1st Round – Peoria, Ill. – Nov. 23, 2002
Defeated Bradley – 2-1
2nd Round – St. Louis, Mo. – Nov. 27, 2002
Lost to No. 18 Saint Louis – 1-0
2004 – Head Coach Jeremy Fishbein – 17-1-2, 10-1-1 MPSF
Won MPSF Regular Season
Final National Ranking – No. 1 (Soccer America)
13th Seed
1st Round – Bye
2nd Round – Albuquerque, N.M. – No. 23, 2004
Defeated Portland – 4-1
3rd Round – Charlottesville, Va. – Nov. 27, 2004
Tied No. 4 Virginia – 1-1
Virginia Advanced on Penalty Kicks 6-5
2005 – Head Coach Jeremy Fishbein – 15-1-3, 7-1-2 MPSF
Won MPSF Regular Season
Final National Ranking – No. 1
2nd Seed
1st Round – Bye
2nd Round – Albuquerque, N.M. – No. 22, 2005
Tied Wisc.-Milwaukee – 2-2 (Advanced on PKs, 5-3)
3rd Round – Albuquerque, N.M. – No. 26, 2005
Defeated No. 15 Cal-State Northridge – 1-0 (OT)
NCAA Quarterfinal Tickets: Tickets for New Mexico’s quarterfinal game are available at the ticket office at The Pit. The ticket office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. throughout the week. Tickets will also be available the day of the game at the stadium, starting at 6 p.m. Ticket prices are $5 for adults and $3 for UNM students and ages 18 and under. Capacity at the UNM Soccer Complex is 5,600 and tickets will no longer be sold once that number is reached. Be sure to get your tickets early so you don’t miss out on the action. Call (505) 925-LOBO for more ticket information.
Home Field Advantage: Fans have packed the UNM Soccer Complex in the first two games of the 2005 NCAA Tournament, setting record attendance marks in both games. Against Wisconsin-Milwaukee 4,552 fans spun the turnstiles, while a UNM Soccer Complex record 4,849 attended the Lobos’ 1-0, overtime win over Cal-State Northridge. UNM’s record for attendance in a single home game is still 7,449 for a 2-0 loss to No. 4 UCLA on Sept. 23, 1989, however, that game was played in University Stadium.
Overtime: The Lobos have played in three-straight overtime games, and have come out on top in each of those contests. UNM downed Air Force 1-0 in overtime in the final game of the regular season. They tied Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2-2 in double overtime in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but advanced on penalty kicks, 5-3. New Mexico defeated Cal-State Northridge, 1-0, in overtime in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. UNM has posted a 5-1-3 record in nine overtime games in 2005.
Lobos Against The NCAA Tournament Field: UNM is 6-0 against NCAA Tournament teams, with all six games coming in their non-conference schedule. Five of the Lobo wins over 2005 NCAA Tournament teams were on the road. Here is a list of the NCAA Tournament teams UNM beat in 2005.2-0 vs. Penn State – Sept. 2 in Columbus, Ohio
1-0 (OT) vs. Ohio State – Sept. 4 in Columbus, Ohio
3-2 vs. South Florida – Sept. 9 in Dallas, Texas
2-0 vs. West Virginia – Sept. 11 in Dallas Texas
1-0 vs. James Madison – Sept. 18 in Albuquerque, N.M.
2-0 vs. SMU – Sept. 23 in Tulsa, Okla.
MPSF Champs Again: New Mexico scored a pair of 1-0 wins over Denver and Air Force in the last weekend of the regular season to clinch its second, consecutive MPSF title and the fourth crown in the last five years. The Lobos finished with a 7-1-2 record in conference play and 23 points. UNM squeezed by San Jose State (7-2-1), who had 22 points, and Air Force (6-3-1), who finished in third place with 19 points. Had the Lobos dropped their match to the Falcons they would have finished in third place and Air Force would have been MPSF Champs. New Mexico won the MPSF Tournament in 2001, the regular season and tournament in 2002 and the regular season again in 2004.
Four Make Academic All-American: For the second year in a row, four Lobos starters earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American honors. Seniors Ben Ashwill, Jeff Rowland and Matt Wootton all earned spots on the first team while senior Brandon Moss was named to the third team. Ashwill is the Lobos’ first three-time Academic All-American, while Wootton and Rowland both earn their second honors. New Mexico was the only school with multiple first-team honors and the only school with more than two on all of the teams.
Seven Lobos Named Academic All-District: After setting a program high with a 3.35 team grade-point-averaged in the 2005 spring semester, seven Lobos were named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VI squad. Ben Ashwill, Jeff Rowland, Brandon Moss, Matt Wootton, Erik Bagwell, Andrew Boyens and Mike Graczyk took all but four of the 11 spots on the team, the most Lobos on one team in school history.
Lobos Downed Three Conference Winners in 2005: UNM played a very difficult non-conference slate in 2005, defeating three eventual conference winners on their way to an 8-0-0 start. The Lobos defeated Big 10 champ Penn State, 2-0 on Sept. 2, Big East Red Division winner South Florida, 3-2, on Sept. 9 and Conference USA regular season leader SMU, 2-0, on Sept. 23.
Two With One Loss: UNM holds the second-best record in the NCAA with a 16-1-3 mark in 2005. The Lobos are one of only two teams with one loss, including No. 2 Akron (18-1-3).
Tough at Home: The Lobos had won 14-straight games at the UNM Soccer Complex before losing to San Jose State on October 16. However, UNM is still 30-2-3 in more than three seasons under head coach Jeremy Fishbein. That record includes a 1-0 defeat of top-ranked Indiana on Sept. 19, 2004. The crowd has played a big part in New Mexico’s home field success. The Lobos are averaging a school-record 3,410 fans per game. New Mexico set a new single game record for attendance at the UNM Soccer Complex against Cal-State Northridge in the third round of the NCAA Tournament when 4,849 fans spun the turnstiles.
Most Goals in 11 Years: The Lobos exploded for 7 goals against UNLV in a 7-2 win on Saturday, Oct. 22. It was the best output under head coach Jeremy Fishbein and the most goals in a game since an 8-1 win over Colorado School of Mines on Sept. 6, 1994.
Fishbein Gets 150th Win: UNM head coach Jeremy Fishbein recorded his 150th win in a 7-2 rout of UNLV on Saturday, Oct. 22. He holds a 155-75-18 (.661) record in over 12 years as a collegiate head coach. He is in his fourth year at UNM and has posted a 59-15-8 (.768) as head of the Lobos.
Lobos in the Rankings: The Lobos remained in the top-3 in the four major polls at the end of the regular season. They are No. 1 in the CollegeSoccerNews.com top-30, NSCAA top-25 and Soccer Times top-25 and No. 3 in the Soccer America top-25.
16 Wins: The Lobos won their 16th game of the season against Air Force on Sunday, Nov. 13. It is the third time in school history UNM has reached 16 wins in a season, all three coming under head coach Jeremy Fishbein.
NCAA Statistical Rankings: Jeff Rowland has 34 points on 15 goals and four assists and is 16th in the NCAA in scoring. He is also tied for 11th in goals-per-game. Sophomore keeper Mike Graczyk’s 0.63 g.a.a. is 10th in the NCAA. As a team, the Lobos’ 12 shutouts in 20 games are sixth in the nation while their 0.67 g.a.a. is 12th. UNM’s 16-1-3 mark is also the second best record in the NCAA.
Lobos on National Teams of the Week: So far this season four Lobos have been named to CollegeSoccerNews.com and Soccer America Teams of the Week. Jeff Rowland was CollegeSoccerNews.com’s National Player of the Week in Week 1, and on Week 8’s squad, Andrew Boyens earned a spot on both teams following Week 2 and Cody Hanna represented UNM on Week 3’s squads. Ben Ashwill also earned a spot on Soccer America’s Week 4 national team. Boyens was again on Soccer America’s squad in Week 10.
Rowland a Hermann Semifinalist: Lobo senior forward Jeff Rowland has been named one of 15 semifinalist for the 2005 MAC Hermann Trophy. He is coming off a record breaking season in 2004 after scoring 45 points on 19 goals and seven assists and is a consensus preseason All-American selection. So far this season he has scored 15 goals and four assists in 20 games.
Keeping the Momentum: UNM is coming off one of the most successful campaigns in school history. The Lobos finished the 2004 regular season ranked No. 1 in Soccer America’s Top-25, posted a 17-1-2 record and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time. The school record for wins in a season is 18 set in 2002.
2005 Lobos Climbing the All-Time Lists: Seniors Lance Watson and Jeff Rowland are putting their names on UNM’s all-time lists in scoring, goals, assists and shots. Rowland currently ranks third in points (102) and shots (231). He is tied for second all-time with Mike Strati (1991-94) with 44 career goals. The school-record for career goals in 57 set by Justin Sells (1994-97). Watson is currently sixth in points (65), sixth in goals (22), tied for second in assists (21) and fourth in shots (176). Senior Ben Ashwill is also tied for eighth in career goals with 19. Senior Brandon Moss ranks third in minutes played with 7,233 while sophomore Mike Graczyk is eighth in wins (16) and sixth in shutouts (12).
Graczyk Sets Shutout Record: Sophomore keeper Mike Graczyk has recorded 11 shutouts in his first season as UNM’s fill-time keeper. He broke Andrew Weber’s previous high of nine shutouts in 2004. The team record for shutouts in a season is 11 also set in 2004.
Local Flavor: Although the Lobos are bringing in some of the top players in the country, they are still winning with a roster dominated by homegrown players. Nine of UNM’s 26 players are from the Land of Enchantment. Even more impressive is the fact that five of those nine are starters or regular players.
Barklage a Freshman to Watch: Freshman Brandon Barklage was named one of the Top-100 Freshmen to Watch by CollegeSoccerNews.com. The 5-11, midfielder/forward from St. Louis, Mo., has started 14 games and recorded a goal and five assists.