May 5, 2010
2010 Lobo Men’s Soccer Schedule
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico men’s soccer team will be working hard this fall to make their eighth trip to the NCAA Tournament in 10 seasons. Lobo head coach Jeremy Fishbein recently announced the 2010 schedule which features six opponents that participated in the 2009 Tournament.
“We will have one of the most challenging non-conference schedules in the nation,” said Fishbein. “With five NCAA teams in our first seven games, we are accomplishing our goals to play the top teams in the country and bring some great soccer action to the fans in Albuquerque.”
Five of the first seven games of the 2010 season will be against NCAA participants. UNM will start the regular season with a six-game homestand at the UNM Soccer Complex on Sept. 1 against NCAA Second Round participant Saint Louis, followed on Sept. 4 by UC Santa Barbara, who advanced to the NCAA Third Round in 2009.
The 2010 TLC Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Lobo Invitational will feature games against Georgetown on Sept. 10 and Portland on Sept. 12. Portland knocked the Lobos out of the First Round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament and advanced as far as the Third Round. Denver will play Portland and Georgetown in the neutral games.
Buffalo and Harvard will be the guests for the Lobo Classic on Sept. 17 and 19. Harvard was the No. 10 overall seed in the 2009 NCAA Tournament and advanced as far as the Third Round. UC Santa Barbara will play Harvard and Buffalo in the neutral games.
The Lobos will travel to Dartmouth on Sept. 25 for their lone away regular season game. Dartmouth played in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation competition begins on Oct. 1 at home against UNLV. Denver and Air Force come to the UNM Soccer Complex on Oct. 8 and 10, while the Lobos return the favor the next week at Denver on Oct. 15 and Air Force on Oct. 17.
The battle for the MPSF regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the MPSF post-season tournament continues with the final two home games of the season against Seattle on Oct. 22 and Cal State Bakersfield on Oct. 24.
The Lobos end the regular season with a three-game road trip, starting Oct. 29 at 2009 MPSF champion Sacramento State. The Lobos and Hornets were the only MPSF representatives in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. UNM plays San Jose State on Oct. 31 and UNLV on Nov. 6.
The 2010 MPSF Tournament will be Nov. 11-14 at Sacramento State. The 2010 NCAA Tournament begins on Nov. 19 with First Round action. The 2010 NCAA College Cup will take place on Dec. 10 and 12 in Santa Barbara, Calif.
New Mexico will play three exhibition games in August, with a trip to Tulsa, Okla., to play nationally-ranked Tulsa on the 20th and Missouri State on the 22nd. The Lobos warm-up the preseason exhibition season at home against 2009 NCAA Division II national champion Fort Lewis on the 27th.
The 2010 Lobos will have to replace five strong seniors, including Academic All-America Player of the Year Simon Ejdemyr, from the 2009 team that advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. UNM, 12-7-1 in 2009, clinched its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance with an appearance in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament championship game. The Lobos will return four all-MPSF players, including first-teamer Michael Green. Second teamers Michael Reed and Lance Rozeboom and honorable mention honoree Ryan Farquharson, along with Green, will be expected to be the leaders on and off the field as the Lobos prepare for another run at the MPSF title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Non-Conference Opponent Capsules (2009 records)
Saint Louis (15-7-0; Received votes in final 2009 NSCAA Top 25 poll) … advanced to the second round of the 2009 NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament, lost to Tulsa in overtime; Atlantic-10 Conference tournament champion
UC Santa Barbara (17-5-2; No. 10 in final 2009 NSCAA Top 25 poll) … advanced to the third round of the 2009 NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament, lost to No. 6 seed UCLA, 2-1; Big West Conference regular season champion
Georgetown (9-8-2) … finished fourth in the Big East Conference Blue Division, advancing to the Big East Tournament
Portland (12-6-5; No. 17 in final 2009 NSCAA Top 25 poll) … advanced to the third round of the 2009 NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament, lost to No. 2 Virginia, 1-0; finished fourth in the West Coast Conference
Buffalo (7-9-1) … placed sixth in the Mid-American Conference
Harvard (14-4-1; No. 9 in final 2009 NSCAA Top 25 poll) … No. 10 seed in 2009 NCAA Tournament, advanced to the third round before losing to Maryland, 2-0; Ivy League champion
Dartmouth (10-7-1) … played Boston College to a double overtime 2-1 loss in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament; placed fourth in the Ivy League