Aug. 20, 2010
TULSA, Okla. — The University of New Mexico men’s soccer team started out hot in the extreme heat in Tulsa, finishing up with a 3-2 exhibition win over No. 7 Tulsa on Friday night to start the 2010 season. Temperatures in Tulsa reached the low 100s with a heat index of close to 110. The Lobos will stay in Tulsa for a neutral site exhibition game against Missouri State on Sunday at 11 a.m. (MT).
UNM jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 33 minutes of action. Sophomore forward Blake Smith earned the first goal of the game on a rebound off a Tulsa defender at the 10:41 mark, 1-0. Senior defender James Urbany earned the assist.
On the Lobos’ second goal, sophomore midfielder Patrick Pacheco played a great ball behind the defense to sophomore forward Josh Caffey, who was fouled close to the goal, giving the Lobos a penalty kick. Senior midfielder Michael Reed finished the play, putting the penalty kick opportunity past the Tulsa goalkeeper, 2-0, at 33:30.
Tulsa tied the game up over the next ten minutes, 2-2. Adrian Klammer scored off a rebound and an initial save by Lobo keeper Justin Holmes, 2-1 at 40:06, then earned the assist on a goal by Jon Wright at 42:58 for the Golden Hurricane.
“We came out tight and scored two quick goals,” said Lobo head coach Jeremy Fishbein. “Instead of locking it down, we got stressed and fatigued. The heat was extreme. We are not used to that type of weather. After halftime, we adjusted and were able to get the game-winner late in the game.”
Junior midfielder Michael Green, the Lobos’ top returning scorer from 2009, picked up a pass from redshirt freshman Lawrence Robledo in the box for the game-winner, 3-2. Robledo beat his defender to earn the assist.
New Mexico will play two more exhibition games, vs. Missouri State on Sunday and a home match-up against NCAA Division II national champion Fort Lewis on Friday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. The first game of the regular season will be Wednesday, Sept. 1 against Saint Louis at the UNM Soccer Complex. Game time is set for 7 p.m.