FT. COLLINS, Colo. – Lindsey Guice sure loves playing in her hometown of Ft. Collins. The senior scored for the fourth time in her career at Colorado State, Quincy Slora hit a world class free kick and the Lobos got solid efforts from a host of players in a true team effort as UNM used 21 players to defeat Colorado State 2-1 to stay unbeaten on the road in MW play.
The win puts UNM at 6-6-1 overall and 4-1-1 in the conference. The 13 points is two behind travel partner San Diego State as well as San José State, and one point better than Colorado College, who got swept on the weekend. UNM and San José State will face off Friday night at 7 p.m. at the UNM Soccer Complex.
The Lobos found themselves down 1-0 despite owning the run of play for the first 14 minutes when a long free kick by Jessica Stauffer found the head of Hannah Gerdin for her fifth goal. That goal was scored on Victoria Archuleta, a field player who started the game in net for UNM. The Lobos are without a back-up keeper with Laura DeMers hurt, so Archuleta was given the start.
UNM got that goal right back 59 seconds later when Dylann O’Connor’s corner kick bounced in the box and Guice headed it to the far left corner of the net for a tie game. Ulrich entered the game for Archuleta after Victoria had made a pair of saves on the day, and UNM immediately took the lead for good.
Quincy Slora lined up for a free kick nearly 30 yards out and the left of the net, and hit a screamer with dip the dropped over a helpless Jesse McGinley and into the upper 90 for a picture perfect goal and a 2-1 lead.
UNM would hold that lead the rest of the way, although Ulrich had to make an incredible save with about 21 minutes left on Gerdin. She got the ball near the top of the box, beat her defender and cracked a low laser tabbed for the corner. Ulrich dove and just got a piece of it with her right hand to deflect it. The ball crashed into the post and bounded away, and CSU never really threatened again after that.
It was Ulrich’s second game-saving diving stop of the weekend, as she saved a penalty kick in the 88th minute at Wyoming to preserve a 0-0 draw.
The Lobos used 21 players in the game, including Archuleta who played both in net and in the field. Head Coach Heather Dyche subbed liberally, using 25 subs in all including 16 in the second half, keeping the Lobos fresh in the second half.
STARTERS
New Mexico: Archuleta (GK), O’Connor, Guice, Chavez, Slora, Irwin, Lynch, Coonrod, Olguin, Jiminez, Munoz.
Colorado State: McGinley (GK), Gerdin, Rodriguez, Stone, Speed, Bowden, Stauffer, Bertana, Ornes, Dietrich, Marconi
SCORING SUMMARY
Colorado State: Hannah Gerdin (5) (Jessica Stauffer); 14:05
New Mexico: Lindsey Guice (2) (Dylann O’Connor); 15:04
New Mexico: Quincy Slora (2) (unassisted); 37:30
QUOTES
“Over the course of the weekend we had to use all 22 players that traveled. We were dependent upon it after playing 110 hard minutes at 7,000 feet at Wyoming. Everyone had to contribute and I feel they did that. It was just a total team effort this weekend. We picked up four points on the weekend and I’m thrilled with that.”
-Head Coach Heather Dyche
NOTES
*New Mexico is now 7-0-2 in its last nine Mountain West road matches.
*The Lobos have never lost to Colorado State, improving to a perfect 3-0-0.
*Both of Quincy Slora’s goals this season have been game-winners. She had the winner against Idaho State in a 4-1 win on September 3.
*New Mexico is now 31-8-9 in its last 48 Mountain West games dating back to the end of the 2009 season.
*Victoria Archuleta made her first start for the Lobos, although she actually made her first career start on September 1, 2013 when as a member of the New Mexico State Aggies she started as a defender against Portland State.
NEXT UP
New Mexico takes on San José State in a match-up of two of the league’s top teams. The game will be at the UNM Soccer Complex on Friday night at 7 p.m.
Team Effort Leads to 2-1 Road Win at CSU
