Lobos Clinch MW Berth, Move Into Second with 1-0 Over Tigers
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Couple a dominating performance with a dash of luck, and if you are The University of New Mexico, you get a 1-0 win over Colorado College and a guaranteed berth in the Mountain West Tournament.
The Lobos played a third straight solid contest, following a home weekend with San José State and Fresno State. UNM outshot the homestanding Tigers 16-7, and 8-3 on net, and had five corners to just one for the Tigers.
As solid as UNM played, a little luck was needed, and UNM made some of its own in the 18th minute. Dylann O’Connor beat her defender and laid a perfect pass into the box for Claire Lynch, whose hard shot on the wet turf squeaked past Colorado College keeper Louisa McKenzie and just over the line. That would be the only goal UNM would need.
Lynch nearly had a brace as she took a penalty kick five minutes later, but McKenzie atoned for her error with a fantastic diving save on a really well struck penalty that was labeled for the upper right-hand corner.
However, it was a goal that would have been window-dressing only. UNM’s back line was taut, limiting leading scorer Sarah Schweiss, who entered the game with nine goals and five game-winners, to just three shots and none on net. Of Colorado College’s three shots on net, two were in the final five minutes.
Cassie Ulrich, who was brilliant against Fresno State on Sunday, was stellar again with three saves in recording her fifth shutout of the season and lowering her goals against average to 1.02. Her counterpart MacKenzie had seven saves, including the penalty.
STARTERS
New Mexico: Ulrich (GK), O’Connor, Guice, Chavez, Irwin, Lynch, Wheeler, Coonrod, Olguin, Jiminez, Munoz.
Colorado College: MacKenzie (GK), Milliet, LaPointe, Sullivan, Long, Conlon, Schweiss, Richter, Martino, Tominello, Curran
SCORING SUMMARY
New Mexico: Claire Lynch (4) (Dylann O’Connor), 17:53
QUOTE
“Colorado College is an excellent team. They are very well coached and organized. I was proud that we were mature enought to find a way to win despite not playing our best. Madi Olguin was outstanding today for us.”
–Head Coach Heather Dyche
NOTES
*UNM is over .500 for the first time this season.
*UNM now 8-0-2 in its last 10 Mountain West road matches.
*The win over Colorado College was UNM’s first since a 2-0 win in 1997, and UNM’s first on the road at Colorado College since a 2-1 win in 1996.
*Lynch has scored the opening goal of the last two games, both times off a Dylann O’Connor assist.
NEXT UP
New Mexico travels to face Air Force in Colorado Springs at noon on Sunday afternoon, October 25.