Oct. 15, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
UP NEXT: The University of New Mexico men’s soccer team travels to Las Vegas, Nev., Friday, Oct. 17, for an 8:30 p.m. (MT) match against UNLV. The Lobos are currently 6-4-2 on the season and 3-1-0 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play. The Rebels have a 7-4-1 overall mark and are 2-2-0 in MPSF action.
UNLV (7-4-1 overall, 2-2-0 MPSF) senior Lamar Neagle put away a pair of game-winning goals in MPSF action in Las Vegas over the weekend, leading a 4-1 win over Sacramento State and 2-1 win over San Jose State. He struck with 1:02 to play in regulation against the Spartans, after senior Ben Haugland had tied the game in the 74th-minute. Sophomore Stephen Sifuentes scored the Rebels’ last two goals against the Hornets. UNLV has already equaled its overall win total from last year, leading the conference with seven victories overall.
Neagle leads the MPSF in scoring and goals. He has hit the net seven times this season and totalled 14 points on the year. Friday’s match will feature the two MPSF player of the week in Neagle and junior defender Simon Ejdemyr. Ejdemyr has been excellent in the backline for the Lobos, but the Lobo defense will have their hands full against a talented Rebel attack. Sophomore forward Daniel Cruz is tied for second in the league in scoring with 11 points on four goals and three assists. Ejdemyr left Sunday’s game in the 56th minute following a collision, but will be ready to play his weekend.
Despite UNLV’s high scoring attacking players, the Lobos still lead the league in goals and goals per game. New Mexico has 19 goals on the season in 12 games for a 1.58 average. UNLV is second in the MPSF with 17 goals this season.
Friday’s game against UNLV will be available via GameTracker on GoLobos.com. New Mexico moved up to No. 7 in this week’s NSCAA Far West Region rankings while the Rebels cracked the Top-10 at No. 9.
UNLV REBELS (7-4-1, 2-2-0 MPSF)
Location: Las Vegas, Calif.
Conference: MPSF
Head Coach: Mario Sanchez (Fresno State `99)
Record at UNLV: 15-29-5 (3rd)
Career Record: same
Starters Returning/Lost: 9/2
Lettermen Returning/Lost: 16/5
2007 Record: 7-10-2
2007 Conference Record: 3-7-0 (T5th)
UNM vs. UNLV: 15-8-0
Last Time: UNLV Won 2-1 in 2OT (11-3-07) at Home
Top Goal Scorer: Lamar Neagle (7)
Top Assists: Ben Haugland (4)
Top Keeper: Hawk Mummey (0.97 g.a.a.)
Notes: These two teams split their mathes last season with the Lobos winning 2-1 at home and UNLV taking a 2-1 win in double-overtime in Las Vegas. UNM is 7-3-0 against UNLV in head coach Jeremy Fishbein’s tenure. UNM has won seven of the last eight in the series.
Web Site: www.UNLVRebels.com
RECAPPING LAST WEEKEND: The University of New Mexico men’s soccer team scored two big Mountain Pacific Sports Federation wins at home last weekend over San Jose State and Sacramento State. The Lobos downed the Spartans 1-0 in overtime at the UNM Soccer Complex on Friday, Oct. 10. Junior Justin Davis scored the game-winner less than two minutes into the overtime period on an assist from senior Jack Smithson and junior Stephen Brown. New Mexico then logged a 2-1 win over Sacramento State on Sunday, Oct. 12. Davis scored again in the fifth minute for his third goal of the season while junior Simon Ejdemyr converted a penalty kick in the seventh minute.
DAVIS WITH ANOTHER GAME_WINNER: Junior Justin Davis scored his second game-winning goal of the season when he put home a header against San Jose State on Friday. Davis has three goals and three assists in 2008.
LOBO OFFENSE LEADING THE WAY: New Mexico’s 19 goals on the season leads the MPSF. UNM also leads the league in scoring with 55 points. New Mexico also leads the league lead in assists with 17 on the year.
LOBOS TOUGH AT HOME UNDER FISHBEIN: The Lobo men’s soccer team has posted a 26-2-1 mark in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation action at the UNM Soccer Complex under head coach Jeremy Fishbein. The only two losses at home under Fishbein came against UNLV (2-0 on Oct. 18, 2003) and San Jose State (3-2 (OT) on Oct. 16, 2005). UNM has won 85% of their matches overall in six years under Fishbein at the UNM Soccer Complex, posting a 50-7-5 mark in his tenure.
IN THE RANKINGS: The Lobos are out of all of the rankings for the first time since the start of the 2004 season. It is the fourth week in a row New Mexico has not been ranked. UNM is No. 7 in the NSCAA Far West Region poll.
LOBOS SHORTHANDED IN DENVER LOSS: The Lobos played without four starters in their loss at Denver last weekend. Juniors Justin Davis, P.J. Wilson and Zach Tierney were all serving red card suspensions while fellow junior Euan Holden was out with an illness.
DAVIS NAMED MPSF PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Junior Justin Davis was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation co-Player of the Week after netting the game-winner against No. 2 Akron on Friday, Sept. 12. Davis has a goal and three assists on the season. It was his first career player of the week honors.
LOBOS AGAINST THE TOP-5: New Mexico’s 1-0 win over No. 2 Akron was their fourth over a top-5 team in school history. UNM is 4-8-2 all-time against teams ranked in the top-5, including two wins and a tie against the last three that visited the UNM Soccer Complex. The Lobos are 2-3-2 in seven matches against the top-5 in head coach Jeremy Fishbein’s tenure.
Fishbein vs. The Top-5
No. 2 Akron – 1-0 win at home on Sept. 12, 2008
No. 1 SMU – 1-1 tie at home on Sept. 15, 2006
No. 1 Maryland – 0-1 loss in the College Cup finals in Cary, N.C., on Dec. 11, 2005
No. 4 Virginia – 1-1 tie in the NCAA 3rd round in Charlottesville, Va. on Nov. 27, 2004
No. 1 Indiana – 1-0 (2OT) win at home on Sept. 19, 2004
No. 1 UCLA – 0-1 loss at UCLA on Oct. 9, 2003
No. 1 SMU – 0-2 loss at SMU in the NCAA 2nd round on Nov. 25, 2001.
NEW MEXICO WAS STRONG WITH A LEAD: Coming into 2008, the Lobos were tough to beat when scoring first or leading at the half. In head coach Jeremy Fishbein’s first six years, New Mexico was 76-3-7 when finding the back of the net first and 48-1-2 when holding a halftime lead. This year, UNM has struggled in comparison, posting a 4-2-2 mark when scoring first and 3-1-2 record when leading at the half.
LOBOS BOAST THIRD HIGHEST WINNING % SINCE 2004: The University of New Mexico men’s soccer team boasts the second highest winning percentage in Division I over the last three years. The Lobos are 67-16-14 (.763) since the start of 2004. Here is a look at the top teams in the nation based on winning percentage since 2004.
Wake Forest – 79-18-10 – .785
Akron – 68-16-12 – .771
New Mexico – 67-16-14 – .763
Maryland – 71-21-10 – .745
Indiana – 66-19-17 – .730
SMU – 68-22-12 – .725
UCSB – 71-24-11 – .722