Aug. 19, 2009
Lobo Men’s Soccer Opens Up Fall Camp
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico men’s soccer team hits the road for two preseason exhibition matches this weekend. The Lobos take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane Friday, Aug. 21 at 6 p.m. MT, and then face the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles Sunday, Aug. 23, at 11 a.m. MT. Both matches will be played in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Gametracker is available on Friday only for the Lobos’ matchup against Tulsa. Visit GoLobos.com for the live stats.
“The new guys have blended in well and it’s a really cohesive team,” said Lobo head coach Jeremy Fishbein. “I’m excited to get on the field and play against somebody else to see where we are. It breaks up the monotony of just playing against yourself.”
With 7 starters and 14 lettermen returning for the Lobos, the roster is heavy with veterans. Fishbein feels the maturity and leadership will be the driving force behind this year’s squad, as the Lobos have nine fourth-year players on the team. Four of those nine players are going to be juniors. Add that to five accomplished seniors and it’s apparent that the Lobos will field an experienced team.
New Mexico wrapped up a 11-6-2 season in 2008, finishing second in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) with a mark of 7-3-0. The Lobos return senior forward Justin Davis, who led the Lobos and the MPSF in scoring last season with seven goals and six assists for 20 points. He’ll anchor the offensive attack with his speed and ability to find the back of the net from almost anywhere in the offensive half of the field. Davis racked up first-team all-MPSF honors in addition to a third-team all-Far West Region nod.
The Lobo backline will also be one of the team’s strongest assets going into the ’09 season, anchored by senior central defender Simon Ejdemyr. His intimidating size at 6-foot-5 and soccer intelligence will be a huge obstacle for opposing teams. Ejdemyr is also a threat to score on set pieces, evidenced by his five goals and single assist last season. Ejdemyr was also a first-team all-MPSF and third-team all-Far West Region selection.
New Mexico leads the all-time series against Tulsa with a 7-4-1 mark, and the Lobos notched a 1-0 win at home against the Golden Hurricane in the teams’ last meeting in 2006. Lobo senior Stephen Brown, then a freshman, scored his first career goal in the 30th minute for the only score of the game.
Tulsa returns 17 lettermen and seven starters from their 16-4-3 squad last season. They finished first in both the Conference USA regular season and tournament championship for the second straight year, advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in school history, and earned a program-best No. 5 national ranking.
Sophomore Austin Neil is the Golden Hurricane’s top returning scorer, posting 11 goals and four assists for 26 points in 2008. The goalkeeper position was left vacant with the graduation of Tyrel Lacey, but senior Andy Aguilar will most likely be between the pipes for Tulsa. Aguilar picked up six saves in three contests last season, posting a 1.23 goals-against-average. In addition, TU junior forward Ashley McInnes and senior midfielder Joe Salem were named to the 2009 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy National Player to Watch List, as announced by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
“You always want to play against the best teams out there to see where your players stand,” said Fishbein. “It’s gonna be a great opportunity to play a lot of guys and continue with the evaluation process. It also better prepares our team for [regular season] games.”
Oral Roberts retains 16 lettermen and eight starters going into the 2009 season. The Golden Eagles wrapped up 2008 with a 6-9-2 overall mark and went 2-3-1 in conference play. Oral Roberts lost two of their top three scorers from last season, but senior forward Juan Chang is a key returnee who notched six goals and two assists for 14 points in 2008. This is New Mexico’s first matchup with the Golden Eagles since taking a 3-2 decision in overtime at a neutral site in the teams’ last meeting in 2001. New Mexico leads the all-time series 4-0-0.
The Lobos play one more exhibition match at home against Southern Colorado at 7 p.m. MT Thursday, Aug. 27. They will be on the road for their first regular season match against Saint Louis at 6 p.m. MT Tuesday, Sept. 1, and take on San Francisco at 7 p.m. MT on Sept. 5 in the home opener. For more information, please visit GoLobos.com.
OLYMPIC SPORTS PASS
Don’t miss a second of Lobo men’s soccer with the Olympic Sports Pass. For one low price the Olympic Sports Pass gets you into your favorite Olympic Sports like baseball, softball, and women’s soccer, and assures you a seat to watch the Lobo men’s soccer team. Visit GoLobos.com for more information on Lobo men’s soccer and how to pick up your Olympic Sports Pass.Check GoLobos.com for post-game recaps.