Nov. 4, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.–The University of New Mexico men’s soccer team closes out their regular season schedule this Saturday night, hosting UNLV at 7 p.m. MT at the UNM Soccer Complex. Five Lobos will take the field, possibly for the final time at home, on Senior Night. Seniors Stephen Brown, Justin Davis, Simon Ejdemyr, Euan Holden, and P.J. Wilson will be honored before the match for their hard work and dedication to the Lobo men’s soccer program. Links for GameTracker, an audio broadcast, and live video can be found on GoLobos.com.
The Lobos will next travel to Denver, Colorado for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament, which will be held at Pioneer Field on the University of Denver campus from Thursday, November 12 through Sunday, November 14. New Mexico’s victory over San Jose State on Sunday gave them a chance to control their own destiny. The Lobos can secure the #2 conference tournament seed, and a first-round bye, with a home victory over UNLV on Saturday. The bye is crucial, as it will allow the Lobos to bypass a back-to-back Thursday and Friday schedule in the MPSF Tournament. The championship game will be played on Sunday, with the winner receiving the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
UP NEXT:
UNLV is 7-5-4 overall and 1-3-2 in the MPSF standings coming into Saturday’s matchup. The Rebels will go up against the top three teams in the MPSF in their final three regular season games — they faced conference leader Sacramento State on Sunday and took on San Jose State on Friday night prior to this weekend’s matchup with New Mexico. The Rebels went 1-0-1 on the weekend, knocking off San Jose State 1-0 on Friday and earning a 1-1 double-overtime tie against Sacramento State in Sunday MPSF action.
The Friday win against San Jose State was UNLV’s first conference road win since the 2004 season. Senior forward Will Zieghan posted his first game-winner and third goal of the season, netting a header off a Roberto Farfan pass in the 75th minute. Junior goalkeeper Roland Swanson posted three saves in goal to earn his sixth shutout of the season. Senior defender Peter Rodriguez scored his first goal of the season on Sunday to help UNLV earn the 1-1 tie against Sacramento State. Rodriguez settled a loose ball at the top of the box, then blasted a shot to the far left side of the goal for the score in the 88th minute.
Freshman forward Nick Marshall leads the Rebels in scoring thus far, posting 17 points on seven goals and three assists. Junior Stephen Sifuentes trails closely with seven goals, two assists, and 16 points. Freshman midfielder Zach Kupfer has five goals and two assists for 12 points. Swanson has started all 16 games for UNLV in goal, posting a 1.35 goals-allowed-average.
New Mexico leads the all-time series against UNLV with a mark of 16-8-0. The Rebels won the teams’ last matchup 3-2 in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 17, 2008.
UNLV REBELS
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Conference: Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
Head Coach: Mario Sanchez (Fresno State, `99)
Record at UNLV: 23-39-9 (4)
Career Record: Same
Starters Returning/Lost: 5/7
Lettermen Returning/Lost: 10/13
2008 Record: 8-9-1
2008 Conference Record: 3-7-0 (T-5th)
NM vs. UNLV: 16-8-0
Last Time: UNLV won 3-2 in Sacramento (10-17-08)
Web Site: UNLVRebels.com
RECAPPING LAST WEEKEND:
The Lobos put away San Jose State 1-0 on Sunday afternoon in a pivotal conference matchup that went into overtime. Lobo senior Stephen Brown found himself in the right place at the right time to net the game-winner with 3:35 on the clock. Freshman goalkeeper Justin Holmes made his first career start as a Lobo and was stellar in between the pipes for New Mexico. The Lobos fell to conference leader Sacramento State 1-0 on Friday night. The game remained scoreless until Adam Bettencourt netted one for the Hornets at 57:01, cleaning up after a Sac State corner kick and subsequent header by Diego Marroquin. New Mexico is now in a tie with San Jose State in conference points. The Lobos hold an edge over the Spartans in head-to-head play, and still have a chance to earn an important first-round bye in the upcoming conference tournament. The Lobos improve to 10-6 on the season and 4-2 in MPSF play.
HOLMES GETS FIRST START
Freshman goalkeeper Justin Holmes made his first career start as a Lobo in Sunday’s game at San Jose State. Holmes faced 20 shots from the Spartans and posted seven saves to preserve the shutout. Among other highlights, Holmes got impressive air on a monster shot by Dan Addiego, punching the ball out and over the top of the goal. He then came up big on a shot blasted by Nick Cukar at point-blank range just before the half. Holmes’ scissor-kick save in the sudden death overtime period bought the Lobos some time, and Stephen Brown came through with a big goal for the victory.
EJDEMYR CRACKS THE ALL-TIME LISTS
Lobo senior Simon Ejdemyr has cracked his first Lobo All-Time list. The senior central defender is now ninth all-time in career minutes played at New Mexico with 6109. He has started 68 of 69 games played for the Lobos over the course of four years.
THREE LOBOS ON ESPN ALL-DISTRICT TEAM
Three Lobos earned recognition on the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI squad. Seniors Justin Davis and Simon Ejdemyr and sophomore Lance Rozeboom were all recognized as first-team selections. Ejdemyr earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American honors last season — he was named to the first team. The Lobos have had at least one representative on the Academic All-American squad each year since 2003. In order to be eligible for ESPN The Magazine All-District recognition, student-athletes must be a significant contributor on the team and have at least a 3.3 cumulative grade-point-average. The all-district teams are voted on by the members of the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America. These three Lobos are now eligible for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American recognition. Ejdemyr has a chance to join Chris Wright (2005-08) and Ben Ashwill (2002-05) as the only Lobos to be three-time Academic All-Americans.
REED SCORES FIRST CAREER GOAL:
Junior Michael Reed scored the first goal of his Lobo career just under 15 minutes into the Oct. 25th victory over Denver. Reed got the ball on the right side, beat a defender off the dribble inside, and went top-shelf with a left-footed strike from 25 yards out. Reed has started all 16 games in the midfield for the Lobos this season, and he is a close second on the team in minutes with 1451. Teammate Ryan Farquharson leads with 1453. Reed started 19 of 19 games for the Lobos in 2008 and led the team with 1661 minutes on the season.
DAVIS PICKS UP SECOND MPSF AWARD:
Senior forward Justin Davis was selected as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 19 after notching four points on one goal and two assists over a weekend, Oct. 16-18. Davis is tied for third on the MPSF individual stat charts for assists with six. He is currently tied for third in the category of points with sixteen, and tied for seventh in goals with five. The MPSF nod is his second of the season, and the Lobos have been pegged for the award three times this year.
FIRSTS FOR CAFFEY:
Freshman forward Josh Caffey was recruited to score goals, and he has already made an impact as a first-year player. Caffey scored his first goal as a Lobo against Seattle on Oct. 16, taking the flick from Justin Davis to beat Seattle keeper Ivan Dizdar one-on-one at 49:51. Caffey started his first game against Stanford on Sept. 27, and has logged 354 minutes so far this season.
GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE:
Lobo soccer fans have gotten a glimpse into the future this season, watching the partnership of freshmen Josh Caffey, Patrick Pacheco, Levi Rossi, and Blake Smith on the forward line. All four have logged quality time throughout the season, and have been given playing opportunities in crucial matches. Pacheco leads the freshmen with 535 minutes, while Caffey and Smith have logged 354 and 226 minutes, respectively. Rossi rounds out the playing time with 88 minutes of action. Look for all four to play attacking roles in the years to come.
LOBOS 14TH IN INITIAL MEN’S RPI:
The Lobos are finally getting some love for playing one of the most competitive non-conference schedules in the country. The Lobos were No. 14 in the first Ratings Percentage Index released by the NCAA on Oct. 12. New Mexico has beaten some of the top teams in the nation so far this season, notching wins over California, Notre Dame, Saint Louis, and Cal State Northridge, among others. The Lobos are building a strong resume for being a Men’s College Cup participant, as they have beaten three teams in the Top 48 of the season’s initial RPI. New Mexico boasts wins over No. 15 California (8-3-0), No. 24 Notre Dame (7-4-1), and No. 43 St. Louis (7-4-0). The Lobos are also 1-0 against teams in the Top 15 of the initial RPI. The RPI is one of the most important criteria the NCAA uses to determine the teams and seeding for the NCAA Tournament following the regular season. 22 of the 48 slots are reserved for automatic conference bids, and the rest of the tournament slots are filled through at-large bids. The RPI’s mathematical formula is designed to objectively compare results and strength of schedule. New Mexico has made the trip to the NCAA Tournament six out of the last eight years. The Lobos won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title and the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament all six of those years.
FISHBEIN REACHES 200 CAREER VICTORIES:
Lobo head coach Jeremy Fishbein reached a career-wins milestone on Oct. 3, notching his 200th career victory with a home win over Cal-State Northridge. Fishbein has posted a 204-97-25 overall record in 17 years, and he reached his 100th program victory at UNM with a Sept. 13 road win over No. 10 Notre Dame. Fishbein is in his 8th year at New Mexico, and currently holds a 108-37-15 record at UNM.
GREEN SNAGS THREE WEEKLY HONORS:
Sophomore midfielder Michael Green earned three weekly awards on Oct. 5 after scoring both goals, including the game-winner, in a 2-0 Saturday home win over Cal-State Northridge. Green was named to the Top Drawer Soccer and College Soccer News National Teams of the Week and was also selected as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Week. The MPSF nod was the first of his career and the second of the season for the Lobos. Green is the second Lobo since 2007 to win a national weekly award, and the national honors were the first of his career as a Lobo.
NEW MEXICO AGAINST THE TOP-25:
New Mexico’s win over No. 4 Cal marked the team’s third win over Top-25 teams, and their second victory over Top-10 programs this season. The Lobos’ 10-6-0 mark includes a 3-0 win over No. 21 Saint Louis, a 2-1 (OT) win over No. 10 Notre Dame, and the 2-1 win over No. 4 Cal. The Lobos also notched all three wins on the road, defeating Saint Louis and Notre Dame on their home turf. The California win came at a neutral site in Stanford, Calif.
URBANY SCORES THIRD CAREER GOAL, FARQUHARSON SECOND:
Both goals in the Lobos’ victory over No. 4 Cal on Sept. 25 came from third-year Lobos who consistently work hard in the midfield, but don’t necessarily get a lot of chances to score goals. Junior James Urbany’s strike was his second of the season and second in a row — he also found the back of the net in New Mexico’s 3-0 victory over Gonzaga on Sept. 20. Urbany has three career goals. Junior Ryan Farquharson’s goal was his first of the season and the second of his career.
PACHECO, RODRIGUEZ GET FIRST STARTS:
New Mexico freshmen Patrick Pacheco and Victor Rodriguez each got their first starts as Lobos in New Mexico’s matchup against Gonzaga on Sept. 20. Pacheco, a Taos, N.M. native, made the best of his opportunity, banging in the winning goal in New Mexico’s 3-0 romp over Gonzaga. Goalkeper Rodriguez started in between the pipes for the Lobos, picking up the win while posting three impressive saves in just over 68 minutes. Rodriguez captained Las Cruces High to a 5A State Championship.
EJDEMYR ON PENALTY KICKS:
Strong-footed Lobo senior Simon Ejdemyr is currently 8-8 on career penalty kicks. Ejdemyr scored the Lobos’ first goal of the 2009 season on a penalty kick at Robert R. Hermann Stadium against No. 21 Saint Louis, then broke a 1-1 tie with a PK to lift New Mexico to a 2-1 win over UC Davis at home on Sept. 18. Ejdemyr also scored the Lobos’ last goal of the 2008 season on a penalty kick, the lone strike in New Mexico’s 1-0 win over No. 25 Denver at home on Nov. 16.
DAVIS RACKS UP WEEKLY HONORS:
After scoring both goals in a 2-1 overtime win over No. 10 Notre Dame on their home field, New Mexico senior forward Justin Davis was named to the Soccer America National Team of the Week on Sept. 15. He combined for seven points on three goals and one assist Sept. 11-13 at the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament hosted by Notre Dame. Davis was named Offensive MVP and was an all-tournament honoree. He nailed the game-tying and winning goals to lead the way for the Lobos in the resounding win over the Fighting Irish on Sept. 13. Davis added a goal and an assist in a narrow 3-2 loss to No. 12 Indiana on Sept. 11. The honor was the second weekly award the Litchfield Park, Ariz. native earned in two days — he was also named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Week on Sept. 14. Davis’s MPSF nod is the third of his career and the first of the season for the Lobos. Davis was the first Lobo since 2007 to win a national weekly award.
DAVIS CLIMBS THE ALL-TIME LISTS:
Lobo senior Justin Davis has cracked three Lobo All-Time lists. The senior forward is now fifth all-time in career shots at New Mexico with 173. He’s tied for seventh in the assists category with 18 and tenth in points with 54. His 18 career goals put him one away from the top ten.
LOBOS TOUGH AT HOME UNDER FISHBEIN:
The Lobo men’s soccer team has posted a 31-2-1 mark in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation action at the UNM Soccer Complex under head coach Jeremy Fishbein. The only two MPSF 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. New Mexico carries a 59-9-5 mark overall in eight years under Fishbein at the UNM Soccer Complex. The Lobos capped off the 2008 season with a 1-0 win over No. 25 Denver at home.
NEW MEXICO IS STRONG WITH A LEAD:
The Lobos are tough to beat when scoring first or leading at the half. In head coach Jeremy Fishbein’s tenure, New Mexico is 89-6-9 when finding the back of the net first and 57-2-4 when holding a halftime lead. The last time the Lobos surrendered a lead and lost the match was against No. 12 Indiana in Notre Dame, Ind. in a 3-2 loss to the Hoosiers this season.
UNM HAS WON SIX LEAGUE TITLES IN EIGHT YEARS:
The Lobos have dominated Mountain Pacific Sports Federation standings in recent years, winning six league titles out of the last eight. All of UNM’s league trophies have come since the 2001 season. The Lobos are 48-10-6 in MPSF action in seven seasons under current head coach Jeremy Fishbein.
TWO ALL-REGION, FOUR ALL-MPSF RETURN:
The Lobos return seven starters and 14 lettermen for the 2009 campaign. Highlighting this list is senior forward Jusin Davis and senior defender Simon Ejdemyr, who were first-team All-MPSF selections in 2008. Both Davis and Ejdemyr were also members of the All-Far West Region second and third teams, respectively. Davis led the Lobos and the MPSF in scoring last season with seven goals and six assists for 20 points, while Ejdemyr scored five goals and notched one assist as a defender. Juniors Ryan Farquharson and Michael Reed return from the All-MPSF squad, while seniors Stephen Brown and P.J. Wilson and sophomore Michael Green are all returning starters.
FIREPOWER RETURNS:
The Lobos will have 78 percent of their goals scored returning from last season, including MPSF leading scorer Jusin Davis and sharp-shooting Simon Ejdemyr, who went 5-5 on penalty kicks last season. Senior P.J. Wilson had three goals on the season in 2008, while senior Stephen Brown and sophomore Michael Green scored two apiece.
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN STREAK CONTINUES:
Senior Simon Ejdemyr was named an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American selection in 2008, earning first-team honors. New Mexico is the only team in the country to have at least one Academic All-American award-winner every year since 2003.
LOBOS DOMINATE IN CLASSROOM:
The Lobos were just as aggressive in the classroom as they were on the field in 2008. As a team, New Mexico earned its sixth straight National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award. The award is given to teams who achieve a 3.0 grade point average for the academic year. The Lobos return three student-athletes from last year’s Academic All-MPSF list in senior Simon Ejdemyr and juniors Michael Reed and James Urbany. This marks the second Academic All-MPSF award for Ejdemyr and Reed, and the first for Urbany. Ejdemyr was also selected to the Academic Far West All-Region team.
NEW MEXICO 12TH IN NCAA HOME ATTENDANCE:
UNM averaged 1,632 fans per game at the UNM Soccer Complex in the 2008 season. A total of 16,322 spun the turnstiles in ten home games last year, ranking 12th in average attendance in the NCAA. The Lobos were 8-2-0 in the 10 home games in 2008. UNM has ranked in the Top-15 in attendance each year since the 2001 season. The Lobos 3,629 average in 2005 is still a single-season NCAA record for average per game in a season.
FARMING LOCAL TALENT:
Three New Mexico freshmen join the Lobo ranks this season, raising the number of local players on the 2009 UNM roster to six. Midfielder Patrick Pacheco of Taos HS was the school record holder for most goals in a season (32) and most assists (16) in a season, in addition to being the all-time leading goal scorer at THS with 67 goals and 36 assists in a four-year span. Pacheco was named second team all-state in 2007 and 2008. Midfielder Julian Roberts of Rio Rancho HS played on two district championship teams in 2007 and 2008, and was named first-team all-district in 2007. Forward/midfielder Lawrence Robledo of La Cueva HS was a member of the 2008 state championship team, was named second team all-state as a senior, and was an all-state honorable mention his junior year. Robledo was also the fifth-leading scorer in district 5A with 19 goals and 17 assists, totaling 55 points his senior year. Pacheco, Roberts, and Robledo team up with fellow New Mexicans Michael Reed (MF, Sandia HS), Dominique Romero (MF, La Cueva HS), and Victor Rodriguez (GK, Las Cruces HS) on this year’s squad.
2009 SPRING SEASON:
The Lobos played five matches in the 2009 Spring season, posting a mark of 2-0-2. April 4 – 2-1 win over Fort Lewis College (Wilson, Ejdemyr) April 4 – 1-0 over Colorado State Pueblo (Davis) April 11 – 0-0 tie at UC-Santa Barbara April 12 – 0-0 tie at Cal-Poly
UNM SOCCER COMPLEX:
2009 marks the 14th year the Lobos will take the pitch at the UNM Soccer Complex. The home field for the Lobos seats 6,200 fans and is equipped with endline bleachers, a new press box and a Daktronics video scoreboard. The Lobo men’s soccer locker room boasts state-of-the-art video equipment, personalized lockers, and a spacious area for use solely by the men’s soccer program.