ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico women’s soccer team pelted rival New Mexico State with shot after shot through the first 60 minutes, but couldn’t find a way to sneak one past the Aggie defense.
That was until the 61st and 63rd minutes when the Lobos’ Claire Lynch and Savannah Viola scored from nearly the exact same spot on the field with rockets into the top-right corner as those goals combined with a fierce UNM defensive effort led to a 2-0 victory over the Aggies in front of 2,000-plus fans Friday night at the UNM Soccer Complex.
UNM (4-2-2), which is now 7-0 all-time against the Aggies, outshot New Mexico State (2-7-0) 38-7 in the game, including 17-3 on shots on goal.
But the first 24 shots taken by the Lobos never found the back of the net before Lynch got loose and snuck a strong right-footed shot from the top-left corner of the penalty area just past an approaching defender and into the top-right corner of the net to give UNM a 1-0 advantage.
“We were getting shots off, but none of them were really finding the back of the net,” said Lynch, who now has three goals on the season. “To get that shot off and have it find the back of the net was awesome. … I think it was just building from the first half and we came out firing in the second half.”
The Lobos, who are unbeaten in their last six games (4-0-2), outshot New Mexico State 18-4 in the first half, but came up empty before Lynch’s goal.
It didn’t take long for the Lobos to get a second goal, however, as just two minutes later a deflection came out to a wide-open Viola in the same spot Lynch scored and she did the exact same thing – letting loose a line drive right into the top-right corner of the net to make it 2-0.
“We judge ourselves by our soccer and our effort and I thought we played outstanding soccer tonight,” UNM coach Heather Dyche said. “You hope that goals come as a result of that, but that hasn’t always been the case for us. We’ve dominated a lot of games but weren’t quite able to put them away, so it was nice to see those two goals go in.”
It was more than enough for the Lobos as the defense limited the Aggies to three shots on goal – all saved by Tayler Hammack as she picked up her third shutout of the season and it was UNM’s fourth overall shutout in 2016.
Dyche pointed toward the Lobos’ two junior center backs Emily Chavez and Ashley Ballantyne – who both played all 90 minutes – for setting the tone.
“I thought Ashley (Ballantyne) and Emily (Chavez), our center backs, were outstanding in the second half,” Dyche said. “They didn’t give up anything that I thought was a threat.”
For Dyche, a New Mexico native who graduated from Albuquerque’s Eldorado High School, coaching for New Mexico against New Mexico State and getting the win in front of 2,000-plus fans was something she said she won’t soon forget.
“I still have chills,” Dyche said. “To walk out to a crowd like this and to be able to coach players like this and coach against New Mexico State – there is nothing better than that.”
This was the Lobos’ final non-conference game before starting Mountain West play next Friday when UNM hosts Colorado College at 7:30 p.m. at the UNM Soccer Complex.
Notes: 18 Lobos took a shot in the victory over New Mexico State with no player taking more than four. … Claire Lynch’s goal gives her three on the season – one goal behind team leader Maddie Irwin. … The goal was also the 12th of Lynch’s career – tying her for 10th on the all-time Lobo list. … The goal for Viola was her first of the season and the third of her career. … The Lobos have held opponents scoreless for 324 consecutive minutes and counting after Friday’s shutout, the team’s third straight. … UNM has now outscored New Mexico State 14-1 all-time in their seven meetings.