ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Down 2-0 against UAB just seconds into the second half, the University of New Mexico men’s soccer team had no quit. The Lobos (7-4-2, 1-3-0) scored three times in the last 40 minutes for their first two-goal comeback win since Oct. 30, 2013. It was also their first Conference USA win of the season.
Francesco Casucci led the way by scoring the first two goals and assisting on Sam Gleadle’s game-winner after not playing in the first half.
“We always have confidence (no matter the score),” the freshman from Puglia, Italy, said. “This was a great win tonight.”
UAB scored the only goal of the first half in the ninth minute and added to its lead just 18 seconds into the second half to put the Lobos in a 2-0 hole. There was no panic in the team, though, as they had been in this position before, having already posted three wins this season when trailing at halftime.
This time, however, the mountain was a little higher to climb.
“What we said at halftime was we’re going to score three in the second half,” UNM head coach Jeremy Fishbein said. “I didn’t think it would be 3-2 – I was hoping it’d be 3-1 – but we played well, figured things out, got the ball moving and got two great goals from Francesco and that third one from Sam.”
Casucci got the Lobos on the board in the 51st minute. Josh Goss sent a cross into the box, and Casucci was able to get just enough of his head on it to make it past UAB’s keeper, Hunter Weber.
Just over nine minutes later Casucci was at it again. He lined up a free kick that was to the left of the 18-yard box. He deftly curled it around the wall and into the top right corner of the goal to knot the match at 2-2.
Things quickly started to fall apart for the Blazers. Chandler Stroupe picked up yellow cards just 1:21 apart to put UAB down to 10 men for the last 26:39 of the match.
Casucci began the buildup to UNM’s winning goal in the 72nd minute. On the near side not far from the touchline he sent a towering cross all the way to the edge of the six-yard box near the goal line. Chris Wehan was racing after it and was able to keep it in with a touch, sending it through two UAB defenders to Gleadle. The sophomore easily put it home for his first career goal.
“I thought about not going for it, but it’s Wehan,” Gleadle said. “You have to think he’s going to connect with the ball. Luckily I was there and he put it across. It was a good goal.”
Gleadle had started the previous two games for the Lobos but came off the bench in this one to play 46 excellent minutes up top and out wide.
“I thought the reaction from Sam was very good,” said Fishbein. “He didn’t start, but he played very hard and was good.”
It was an important win for UNM against a quality opponent as the Lobos try to build momentum heading into the final four matches of the season.
“It wasn’t perfect, but we showed a ton of heart,” Fishbein said. “It’s quite an accomplishment to come from two goals down and it’s something we have to keep building on.”
Scoring Summary
UAB (8:47): Svantesson
UAB (45:18): Ruiz (Svantesson)
New Mexico (50:14): Casucci (Goss)
New Mexico (59:30): Casucci
New Mexico (71:47): Gleadle (Casucci, Wehan)
Cautions
New Mexico: none
UAB: Stroupe, yellow (62:00); Stroupe, yellow (63:21); Stroupe, red (63:21)
Starters
UAB: Weber (GK), Sonnenschein, Chester, Willemse, White, Ruiz, Sposito, Valverde, Ngoe, Svantesson, Stroupe
New Mexico: Beaulieu (GK), Rochowski, Goss, Hansen, Khouri, Wehan, Gurule, Dye, Spangenberg, Kajermo
Notes
- Simon Spangenberg made his first career start for the Lobos
· UAB was also the victim the last time UNM came from two down in a match to win. Lobo fans might recall Michael Calderon’s penalty to win it with just seven seconds left in regulation back in 2013 in UNM’s 4-3 win.
· Wehan’s assist on Gleadle’s marker was his first of the season to go with his nine goals
· UNM wore its pink jerseys as part of the Lobos Love Pink campaign to fight breast cancer
Next up
The Lobos travel to face Marshall in a C-USA game Friday night.