ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico women’s soccer team needed a big effort after dropping a 4-0 decision to Colorado last weekend and that’s exactly what happened. UNM’s offense exploded for four goals and 33 shots and the Lobos manhandled the visiting Idaho State Bengals 4-1 to give first year coach Heather Dyche her first home win.
The Lobos got off to a hot start, peppering eight shots in the opening 15 minutes. One of those five found the net as Annie Wheeler touched a short pass to Maddie Irwin who hammered home a shot past Sheridan Hapsic for a 1-0 just 6:55 into the contest. The scored stayed that way and Idaho State eventually got into the flow of things. It stayed 1-0 when keeper Cassie Ulrich got big and came out well to deny a close shot from ISU’s Meaghan Bare. It looked like it would remain 1-0 into the half, but the Lobos struck quickly in the dying moments. Korynn Blanksma gathered in a long clearence and somehow so Quincy Slora racing down the opposite flank. Blanksma’s pass went near the top of the 18 from the touch line, and Slora raced in a drilled it in with just 18 seconds left for a 2-0 lead.
From there it was pretty much all UNM. Claire Lynch scored a classic Lynch goal, picking up a wayward rebound off a Dylann O’Connor shot for her second of the year, and then Jennifer Munoz parked one into the Bengal end for Lindsey Guice to run onto, which she did, clinically beating back-up keeper Shawna Hennings for a 4-0 lead. Cassie Ulrich shutout the Bengals on three saves until being removed with 10:02 to go.
Idaho State ended the combined shutout bid when Bare broke through and put one past Laura DeMers, who got a hand on the initial attempt, with 5:02 to go.
SCORING SUMMARY
New Mexico: (6:55) Maddie Irwin 1 (Annie Wheeler)
New Mexico: (44:42) Quincy Slora 1 (Korynn Blanksma)
New Mexico: (66:38) Claire Lynch 2 (Dylann O’Connor)
New Mexico: (77:39) Lindsey Guice 1 (Jennifer Munoz)
Idaho State: (84:57) Meaghan Bare 1 (unassisted)
QUOTES
“The girls played great today and I think they responded in a really good way after our loss on Sunday, because that wasn’t an easy one for us. It was good to see them come out and fight and put them away.”
-Head coach Heather Dyche
“I really think that as a team we ahve all bought in. We have 36 people on this team and we are 36 deep and our emotions run that deep. I think that we want everyone on this team to do well.”
-Quincy Slora
“Heather really emphasizes the big 10, the 10 minutes at the start of the half and the 10 minutes at the end of the half and she also emphasizes to take the best advantage of the minutes that you get. If you get one minute make it the best minute you can play, so I looked at the clock before I came in and it said eight minute. I said to myself I can go 100 percent for eight minutes and that’s what I did. Korynn won the ball and she did all the work. I just had to pass it in.”
-Quincy Slora
STARTERS
New Mexico: Ulrich (GK), Munoz, Chavez, Edemann, Coonrod, Wheeler, Irwin, Lynch, Hinman, O’Connor and Olguin.
Idaho State: Hapsic (GK), Bermudez, Cabilan, Spooner, Cawmeyer, Mizo, Rodriguez, Musto, Smithson, Peterson, M. Sanchez
NOTES
- New Mexico used 25 players in the match.
- The Lobos had 33 shots. Last year’s season-high came against New Mexico State, with 32.
- New Mexico is now 2-0-0 all-time against Idaho State.
NEXT UP
The Lobos head to presumably cooler temperatures when the Lobos battle at Minnesota on September 11 and at Michigan State on September 13.