Aug. 31, 2012
#3 Lobo Men’s Soccer at Tulsa
The Basics: 7 p.m. (MT) at Hurricane Soccer Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma
On The Air: Internet streaming through Hurricane Vision (Subscription only through Tulsa Athletics)
GoLobos.com LiveStat Links, Game Story, Stats
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The third-ranked University of New Mexico men’s soccer team look to capture their second and third road wins to open the 2012 season at the Tulsa Invitational. The Lobos will look to carry the momentum over from their thrilling 3-2 win at #2 UCLA last week.
NEW MEXICO AT A GLANCE: The Lobos won at #2 UCLA behind the firepower of “The Big Guns” of seniors Blake Smith and Devon Sandoval. Smith tallied one goal and an assist while Sandoval scored twice and registered the assist on Smith’s goal. For Sandoval, his performance earned him national and conference player of the week honors.
TULSA AT A GLANCE: Don’t let the losing record in 2011 fool you, Golden Hurricane soccer is a perennial player on the national stage. Known for their technical and attacking style, Tulsa has won three of the last five Conference-USA championships. They have earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament six times since 2002, and they already have a 4-0 win versus UMKC to their name in 2012.
COACH FISHBEIN: Jeremy Fishbein enters his eleventh season as head coach at New Mexico. The program is 138-44-25 on his watch and has qualified for the NCAA Tournament eight out of his ten seasons in Albuquerque. The Lobos are 1-1-1 against Tulsa in the Fishbein era with an additional exhibition victory as well.
LOBOS TO WATCH: Seniors Blake Smith and Devon Sandoval were responsible for all three goals against UCLA, which puts them atop the list of Lobos to watch. However, it was junior Michael Calderon who scored in both exhibition games leading up to the UCLA win. Calderon had several chances to score in the UCLA, but was unable to find the net. Sophomore goalkeeper Patrick Poblete made quite the collegiate debut in the win at #2 UCLA. Poblete received rave reviews from his coaches and teammates alike and will look to protect the pipes against Tulsa.
ALL-TIME VS. TULSA: The Lobos and Golden Hurricanes have met thirteen times beginning in 1984. New Mexico has the upper hand in the series amassing a 7-4-1 record against Tulsa. The two teams also met in exhibition play last season, which resulted in a 3-1 New Mexico victory.
October 6, 1984 UNM-2 Tulsa-1 Tulsa, Oklahoma
September 27, 1985 UNM-2 Tulsa-0 Albuquerque, New Mexico
September, 4 1987 UNM-4 Tulsa-0 Albuquerque, New Mexico
October 22, 1989 UNM-0 Tulsa-4 Tulsa, Oklahoma
October 27, 1990 UNM-1 Tulsa-1 Albuquerque, New Mexico
September 29, 1995 UNM-3 Tulsa-2 Colorado Springs, Colorado
October 27, 1996 UNM-1 Tulsa-0 Tulsa, Oklahoma
October 19, 1997 UNM-0 Tulsa-1 Albuquerque, New Mexico
October 23, 1998 UNM-0 Tulsa-3 Tulsa, Oklahoma
September 12, 2003 #19 UNM-2 #21 Tulsa-3 Dallas, Texas
September 25, 2005 #1 UNM-2 Tulsa-1 (OT) Tulsa, Oklahoma
September 17, 2006 #21 UNM-1 Tulsa-0 Albuquerque, New Mexico
(Exhibition)
August 20, 2012 UNM-3 Tulsa-0 Albuquerque, New Mexico
DOWN THE ROAD: Friday night’s match-up at Tulsa will the first game of action for the Lobos in the Tulsa Invitational. They will face #20 SMU on Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. The Lobos will return to Albuquerque for their home opener against #16 UAB on Friday, September 7th at 7 p.m (MT).