Lobo Soccer- at West Campus Field (2,500)
When: Wednesday at 6 p.m. (MT)
Who: UAB Blazers
GoLobos.com: Live stats, live stream, box score, postgame recap and stats
Video: The game will be broadcast live on UABsports.com (behind a pay wall)
Weather Forecast: 59 degrees and clear
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The 15th-ranked soccer team’s final road game of the regular season is yet another tough one. The Lobos will face the explosive UAB Blazers Wednesday evening in Birmingham, Ala., in a crucial late-season matchup.
The teams are tied for third in Conference USA with identical 3-2 records. The teams also each average 1.86 goals per game. If one team proves a winner, they will move just one point back of second place, and two points back of first place, with two league games remaining. The loser, though, will be eliminated from winning the conference championship and will most likely have to face host Old Dominion in the Conference Tournament.
“They’re a good team,” UNM head coach Jeremy Fishbein said of the Blazers. “They have some really good players and it should be a dynamic matchup. We’re excited to get on the road for another challenge.”
The Blazers’ offense has matched UNM’s offense so far this season as each squad has scored 26 goals in 14 games. UAB is led by Preseason C-USA Player of the Year Freddy Ruiz who has eight goals and two assists. He is supported by senior midfielder Alex Clay (five goals and four assists) and sophomore forward Rami Dajani (three goals and one assist).
While the offenses have been on par, the defenses have not. UNM ranks 10th in the nation in goals against average allowing just 0.56 per match, but UAB ranks 90th, conceding 1.13 per match.
The Blazers are very tough at home, however, posting a 4-1-1 record with their only loss coming by a score of 1-0 to Kentucky on Oct. 8. UAB is currently No. 27 in the RPI, and it is the sixth team in the top 34 that UNM will face this season and the third on the road.
Series Record: 2-0-0
Home: 2-0-0; Away: 0-0-0; Neutral: 0-0-0
Last meeting: The Lobos defeated the Blazers 4-3 in overtime at the UNM Soccer Complex last season.
Up Next:
UNM returns home for its final two regular-season games: vs. Marshall on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. MT and vs. South Carolina on Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. MT.
SCOUTING UAB … The Blazers are among the top offensive teams in the nation, as they are tied for 27th (with the Lobos) in scoring average at 1.86 goals per game. They are led by C-USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Freddy Ruiz. The junior forward has eight goals and two assists to pace the UAB attack. He is supported by senior midfielder Alex Clay (5G, 4A) and sophomore forward Rami Dajani (3G, 1A). Although their scoring output has matched UNM’s, their defensive work has not. UAB is 90th in the nation in goals against and is currently allowing 1.13 per match. Sophomore Joe Kuzminsky has played every minute this season for the Blazers and made 50 saves. He has a pair of shutouts, but with the way the two offenses are playing, one goal probably won’t be enough for either squad to earn a win.
WEHAN NAMED TO TEAM OF WEEK … Chris Wehan was named to College Soccer News’ National Team of the Week following his two-goal performance against Old Dominion on Saturday, Oct. 25.
McKENDRY AMONG THE BEST … Soccer website TopDrawerSoccer.com released its midseason rankings of the top 100 players in the nation on Oct. 21, and junior midfielder Ben McKendry was ranked seventh in the nation and tops among all C-USA players. Senior defender Nick Miele was also ranked, coming in at No. 95. For the freshmen rankings, keeper Jason Bealieu was at No. 52.
GIBBONS ENTERS TOP 10 … Senior Mathew Gibbons is now tied for sixth all-time at UNM in career starts with 76. Also, his 6,813 minutes played put him in eighth place in program history.
ROGERS CLIMBING … James Rogers’ goal at Florida Atlantic on Oct. 8 was the 21st of his career, moving him into sole possession of ninth all-time in UNM history. Meanwhile, his 166 shots are sixth most and his 59 points are 10th most.
BEAULIEU MOVING UP … Jason Beaulieu continues to make moves in the UNM history book. He is now tied for the most shutouts by a freshman keeper at UNM with five, and his five wins are tied for second. He is tied with Andrew Weber (2001) in shutouts, and trails only Weber in wins while being tied with Nate Busek (1990). Meanwhile, his 0.62 GAA is on pace to not only be the best by a freshman at UNM, but it would be fourth all-time in a single season, behind only Victor Rodriguez (0.50, 2011), Weber (0.55, 2004) and Rodriguez again (0.60, 2012).
MOST INTERESTING SCORER IN THE WORLD … UNM’s senior midfielder Oniel Fisher doesn’t always score goals, but when he does, it’s a game-winner. He has four career goals in 33 matches and each one has been a game winner, including three this season: vs. No. 13 Akron on Aug. 29, at San Diego on Sept. 14, and vs. Missouri State on Oct. 12. His other career goal came against Penn State in the Sweet Sixteen last season, which was the first of two for UNM in its 2-0 win.
McGOVERN C-USA PLAYER OF THE WEEK … Senior Riley McGovern was named Conference USA’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his performances against FAU and Missouri State on Oct. 8 and 12, respectively. He helped the Lobos post back-to-back shutouts while earning his first assist of the season on Oniel Fisher’s game-winning goal vs. Missouri State. It’s his first career honor and the fourth for a Lobo this season.
QUICK STRIKES … UNM scored in the first minute on both Oct. 1 and Oct. 4, for just the third and fourth time in program history. On Oct. 1 Ben McKendry converted a penalty just 16 seconds in to open the scoring against West Virginia, which was the fastest goal in school history, and on Saturday, Oct. 4, UNM took a lead just 43 seconds into the match on a goal by Niko Hansen.
OFFENSIVE OUTBURST … After tallying only 10 goals in their first eight games, the Lobos erupted for six in a rout of West Virginia on Oct. 1. Ben McKendry scored twice, while Niko Hansen, Chris Wehan, Kevin Correa and Riley McGovern all found the back of the net as well. It was the most goals in a game for UNM since a 7-2 win over Villanova on Aug. 30, 2013.
TLC TOURNAMENT CHAMPS … UNM claimed the championship of its TLC Plumbing and Utility Invitational last weekend by virtue of its plus-two goal differential. Ben McKendry earned Tournament MVP honors, while Nick Miele was named Defensive MVP and Chris Wehan was Offensive MVP. James Rogers and Josh Dye were also named to the All-Tournament Team.
A MILE HIGH AND LOUDER THAN … The Lobos ranked eighth in the nation in attendance last season, averaging 2,121 fans for each of the team’s 12 home games in 2013. UNM’s match vs. No. 1 UCLA was the second most attended regular-season home game in program history as 5,026 fans came out to UNM Soccer Complex. The Lobos are currently averaging 2,487 fans through eight home matches, which is eighth in the nation.
NO EASY PATH … UNM’s schedule is not an easy one to negotiate. Starting with the opener against No. 13 Akron, five of the Lobos’ first eight games were against teams that were either ranked or receiving votes, including a matchup with No. 1 UCLA on Sept. 7. The Lobos’ only losses are to the teams ranked No. 1 (Charlotte), No. 2 (UCLA) and No. 28 (Kentucky) in the RPI.
C-USA FAVORITES … The Lobos were voted by league coaches as overwhelming favorites to repeat as Conference USA regular-season champions. UNM received seven out of nine first-place votes to finish well ahead of the pack. Charlotte and UAB each also received a first-place vote and finished in second and third, respectively. Senior defender Mathew Gibbons and junior midfielder Ben McKendry were named to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
FISH AMONG THE BEST … Head Coach Jeremy Fishbein continues to build his coaching legacy at New Mexico. The 2014 season is Fishbein’s 13th at the helm of Lobo Soccer. His UNM record of 168-54-28 makes him the program’s all-time winningest coach. Furthermore, Fishbein has cemented himself among the best in the nation. His 142 wins since 2004 are tied for second in the nation among all active NCAA Division I head coaches.
NCAA Active Win Leaders Since 2004
1st – Sasho Cirovski (Maryland) – 170 wins
T-2nd – Jeremy Fishbein (New Mexico) – 142 wins
T-2nd – Jay Vicovich (Wake Forest) – 142 wins
T-2nd – Tom Vom Steeg (UC Santa Barbara) – 142 wins
5th – Ray Reid (UConn) – 140 wins
6th – Elmar Bolowich (Creighton) – 139 wins
7th – George Gelnovatch (Virginia) – 135 wins
8th – Ken Lolla (Louisville) – 130 wins