UNM Women’s Soccer
This Week: Vs. Loyola University Chicago (3-3), Friday, 7 p.m.; vs. No. 6 Florida (4-1), Sunday, 11 a.m.
Location: UNM Soccer Complex
Live streaming (both games): GoLobos.com
Live stats: lobos.statbroadcast.com, lobostats.com (mobile)
There’s something about playing at home that gets the adrenaline going. The University of New Mexico women’s soccer team, therefore, is beyond excited for their home-opening weekend.
The Lobos (0-2) take on Loyola University Chicago (3-3) on Friday night at 7, followed by an 11 a.m. matinee against No. 6 Florida (4-1). Both games will be at the UNM Soccer Complex.
“We’re really looking forward to playing at home,” junior midfielder Dylann O’Connor said. “The fan support we get from the community is fantastic. The atmosphere playing at home is so much different than playing on the road. We love playing in front of our home fans.”
UNM enters the weekend looking to continue to improve from its performances at the Colorado College Invitational.
“As a young squad, it’s important that we continue to develop,” Lobo coach Kit Vela said. “I think the sky’s the limit for this team; I feel like we’re really talented. The question is how fast we can get it all together.”
New Mexico, which has just one senior but 13 freshmen on its squad, played with all the enthusiasm of a youthful team against Marquette and Weber State last weekend, but Vela said the team needs to learn from its mistakes to have a chance against the Ramblers and Gators this weekend.
“We need to limit our mistakes, defensively,” Vela said. “On offense, we have to do a better job of putting away the chances we get. We had opportunities last weekend; we just didn’t finish enough of them.
Loyola comes to UNM having evened its overall record with a 1-0 win over Green Bay on Sunday. Freshman Avalon Senn-Raemont scored the game winner in overtime in the 96th minute for the Ramblers. Already in six games, she has four goals.
Senior goalkeeper Monica Gonyo is allowing 1.35 goals per game so far this season with a .758 save percentage.
Reporters this week asked the Lobos whether their game Sunday against the Gators would affect their preparation against Loyola.
“We’re not looking past Loyola Chicago,” Vela said. “We know they’re coming in ready to play. We’ve played well at times this season but we’ve got to have that willingness to play for 90 minutes.”
The Gators will come to the UNM soccer complex having played then-No. 2 Florida State (whom they beat) last week and No. 4 Stanford, where the Gators will play Friday night.
Sophomore forward Savannah Jordan has scored three goals and assisted on two others for the Gators this season. Senior goalkeeper Taylor Burke, who was a third-team All-South Region selection last season, has 61 career starts and has a goals-against average of 0.67.
“To play the best in the conference, you’ve got to pay the best among the non-conference teams,” Vela said of the challenge in the non-conference portion of the schedule. “That’s what’s going to prepare you when you start playing conference games.”
O’Connor added that in both games, the Lobos’ primary focus will be the ones on the red team – their own.
“I don’t think we feel any added pressure,” in playing Florida as opposed to Loyola, O’Connor said. “We always want to play the best soccer that we can, no matter who we’re playing against.”