BOULDER, Colo. – The New Mexico Lobos went toe to toe with the Colorado Buffaloes on Sunday afternoon in Colorado but came up on the losing end of a 4-0 decision. UNM attacked early and often and created chances (eleven shots, four on goal) as they matched CU in the stat sheet throughout most of the match.
The action was fast and furious from the first whistle as both teams took turns possessing and connecting passes down the field. The back-and-forth flow of the match was interrupted by Colorado’s goal in the eighth minute. Olivia Pappalardo played a big ball deep into the box from the right side, which found Danica Evans for the goal to the far post.
The match continued its feverous pace as New Mexico continued to attack the Buffs backline. UNM forced a pair of Kate Scheele saves within the same sequence. Dylann O’Connor forced a giveaway from the Colorado defense and fired a shot from close range, forcing a save. The ensuing corner kick from Lindsey Guice found the head of Alyssa Coonrod at the top of the box. Coonrod hammered a header and forced a second save from Scheele in a 60-second span.
The home team found the back of the net for the second time when Stephanie Zuniga-Herrera scored in a crowded box. She took a touch pass from Emily Paxton off a cross from Brittney Stark with three minutes to half.
True to form for the match, the Lobos were undeterred by a goal and continued to attack. Casey Murphy found herself with the ball at the end of a long run and fired a long-range strike, which was saved by Scheele near the end of the first half.
Colorado tacked on a third goal in the 54th minute when Joss Orejel headed home the score off of a double pass from Danica Evans and Sarah Kinzner. A fourth Buffalo goal came 20 minutes later.
SCORING SUMMARY
Colorado: (7:02) Danica Evans (Olivia Pappalardo assist)
Colorado: (41:11) Stephanie Zuniga-Herrera (Emily Paxton and Brittney Stark assist)
Colorado: (53:23) Joss Orejel (Danica Evans and Sarah Kinzner assist)
Colorado: (73:55) Brittney Stark (Brie Hooks assist)
QUOTES
“I thought we didn’t compete hard enough for the entire game. Despite that we were able to create some scoring opportunities that probably should have been goals. We need to work on keeping our composure when attacking in the final third (of the field).”
-Head coach Heather Dyche
“I thought defensively we were pretty good at time today. Then at other times we just got spread out and started chasing things a little too much.”
-Head coach Heather Dyche
STARTERS
New Mexico: Ulrich (GK), Munoz, Chavez, Edemann, Coonrod, Webster, Irwin, Lynch, Guice, O’Connor and Olguin.
Colorado: Scheele (GK), Krauser, Hogg, Huynh, Orejel, Stanton, Pappalardo, Kinzner; Greening, Evans and Hooks
NOTES
- Both coaches took advantage of their depth in the first half as a combined total of 34 players saw the field in the first 45 minutes.
- Cassie Ulrich recorded five saves, which matched her season high previously set against No. 1 Florida State.
- New Mexico now has an all-time record of 14-33-5 versus members of the PAC-12.
NEXT UP
The Lobos will return to Albuquerque for some home cooking. They will welcome the Bengals of Idaho State at 2 p.m. (MST) on Thursday, Sept. 3 at the UNM Soccer Complex. It will be the second-ever meeting between the two programs as New Mexico defeated ISU 2-0 on Aug. 21, 2009.