Lobo Soccer- at C-USA Tournament, Charlotte, N.C. (Transamerica Field – 4,000)
When: Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. (MT)
Who: No. 17 South Carolina Gamecocks
GoLobos.com: Live stats, box score, live stream, postgame recap
Live stats: Available here
Video: Live stream ($) available here
Weather Forecast: 64 degrees and sunny
Watch Party: At Kellys Brew Pub at 3222 Central Ave. SE
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Lobos clinched the No. 6 seed in the Conference USA Tournament courtesy of their 3-0 win over FAU last Friday coupled with Charlotte’s win over UAB. UNM will face No. 17 South Carolina in the C-USA quarterfinals on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 2:30 p.m. as it seeks its first ever win in the C-USA Tournament. A win over the Gamecocks would also bolster the Lobos’ NCAA Tournament resume, as South Carolina enters the match with the 15th-ranked RPI in the country.
The two teams met earlier this season in Columbia, S.C., and the Gamecocks came away with a 2-1 overtime win on a fluky goal. A soft shot from the top left corner of the 18-yard box managed to sneak through UNM’s keeper, Jason Beaulieu, in the 99th minute. It was a very evenly played game, with USC holding a 13-11 edge in shots, but the Lobos having four corners to USC’s two. Chris Wehan scored UNM’s goal after drawing and converting a penalty in the 86th minute.
UNM has not allowed a goal in its last 251:05 of play dating back to Oct. 27. South Carolina ended the regular season on a three-match winning streak, which included wins over ranked Old Dominion and Coastal Carolina squads, but it has not won away from home since Oct. 2. It has lost its last four away from home and was just 2-6-0 on the road this season. While this won’t be a true road match for either side, whichever team is able to adjust to being away from home might gain an advantage. The Gamecocks will have to travel just 102 miles for this match, while UNM is flying over 1,600.
As further evidence of how evenly matched the two teams are, each squad had seven players earn All-Conference USA honors on Tuesday. Chris Wehan was named to the first team, as was Danny Deakin of South Carolina, who matched Wehan’s goal (10) and point (22) totals.
The Lobos have plenty of confidence after their win over Florida Atlantic. They are healthy, they’re playing well on both sides of the ball, and they’re facing a tough, but beatable team in the first round of the tournament with a possible berth to the NCAA postseason at stake.
Series Record: 1-2-0
Home: 1-0-0; Road: 0-2-0; Neutral: 0-0-0
Last meeting: UNM lost to the Gamecocks 2-1 in overtime in Columbia earlier this season.
Up Next: If UNM wins, it will play the winner of Charlotte-Marshall on Friday, Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. MT, with the championship set for Sunday at noon.
SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA: The Gamecocks finished the season strong with three straight wins at home, two of which were over ranked opponents. They were 8-0-1 at home, but just 2-6-0 on the road, which is something to keep in mind for this neutral-site game. All-C-USA First Team honoree Danny Deakin leads their attack and has 10 goals and two assists to his name this season. He is supported by Jeffrey Torda (3rd Team) and Kevin Walker (2nd Team), each of whom has five goals. Koty Millard (2nd Team) and Ryan Arambula have five assists apiece.
RPI UPDATE … The Lobos checked in at No. 38 in the latest NCAA RPI update on Monday while South Carolina is 15th in the rankings.
SEVEN LOBOS EARN ALL C-USA … UNM had seven players earn a spot on one of the All-Conference USA Teams, tied for second-most in the league. Chris Wehan was named to the first team, and he was joined by Niko Hansen and Chris Gurule (second), Josh Dye and Josh Goss (third) and Francesco Casucci and Patrick Khouri (freshman).
CELEBRATING SENIORS … The Lobos celebrated their two seniors prior to Friday night’s match: Adrian Mora Delgado and Josh Dye. Two of the smartest players on the team, Mora Delgado was named Academic All-District in 2012, while Dye has earned the honor each of the last two years. They have made a combined 96 appearances between them since the 2011 season.
TRIO NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT … Three Lobos earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors on Oct. 29. Sophomore keeper Jason Beaulieu and junior center back Chris Gurule both earned the award for the first time. Senior midfielder Josh Dye earned it for the second straight year after being named Second Team Academic All-American last season.
CASUCCI È MOLTO BENE … Freshman Francesco Casucci led UNM’s 3-2 comeback win over UAB on Oct. 18 with two goals and an assist. His efforts earned him C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honors and a spot on College Soccer News’ Team of the Week.
WEHAN CLIMBS TOP 10 … Chris Wehan’s scored the 23rd goal of his career on Oct. 23 at Marshall. That moved him into a seventh-place tie in UNM history with Mario Picazo. Chris Wright and Devon Sandoval are tied for fifth with 26.
