ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Make it three in a row for the Lobos. The University of New Mexico got a second half game-winner for the third straight game, and for the second time in conference play it was Ruth Bruciaga. Her 18-yard strike 1:34 into the second half was the only tally UNM would need as the Lobos defeated Nevada 1-0 at the UNM Soccer Complex in front of 1,707 fans.
The win jumped the Lobos to 5-5-0 on the season and 3-0-0 in the Mountain West. Only UNM and San José State are a perfect 3-0-0. In fact, despite it being just the third game of the 11-game conference season, 10 schools already have at least one loss.
The game-winner was the second in conference play for Bruciaga, who also scored the lone goal in UNM’s 1-0 win at Utah State last Friday. Bruciaga took a touch pass from Quincy Slora just inside the box. Ruth turned to her left and fired a hard shot the snuck between defenders Katie Prosser and Mei-Li Madamba and past a diving Kelsey Quintos. That was all UNM would need.
The Lobos outshot Nevada 15-8 and 7-2 on net, although the Wolf Pack had a flurry shortly after UNM’s goal. A long free kick from Lindsey Salcido ricocheted off the crossbar and out, and a follow-up shot from Hannah Wuensche was blocked. Nevada never amounted a major threat after that, and Cassie Ulrich made two saves in lowering her conference goals against average to 0.33 with her third shutout of the season.
QUOTES
“We’re pleased with it and 3-0 is exactly where we want to be but we know we need to get better.”
“Nobody is going to roll over in conference, especially for us. People don’t like New Mexico. They don’t and they’ve earned that. That’s a good thing. We can’t think we can walk out on the field and beat someone, we have to take care of the dirty work every single night. That’s what we are good at.
“I thought they (Nevada) were very coached and organized. Big kudos to our group that started the second half, because we were harder in the attack and we were first to the ball.”
-Head Coach Heather Dyche
STARTERS
New Mexico: Ulrich (GK), Munoz, Chavez, Jimenez, Coonrod, Edemann, Irwin, Lynch, Blanksma, O’Connor and Olguin.
Nevada: Quintos (GK), Prosser, Mitsuyasu, Robinson, Deronde, Davison, Jones-Oglesby, Salcido, Kopolow, Wuensche, Madamba
SCORING SUMMARY
New Mexico: Ruth Bruciaga (2) (Quincy Slora), 46:34
*New Mexico has now started 3-0-0 in conference play three times (2010, 2013, and 2015). The 2010 team started 5-0-0 for the best perfect conference start in school history.
*Cassie Ulrich recorded her 16th career clean sheet tying Melissa Liston for fourth in UNM history.
*Bruciaga now has six career goals and three game-winners.
*Dylann O’Connor moved into sixth place on the UNM career list with 122 shots taken.
NEXT UP
New Mexico hosts UNLV at home on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Lobos Roll On with 1-0 Win Over Nevada
