POCATELLO, Idaho — The University of New Mexico’s Alexa Cabrales’ soaring throw ins directly assisted two goals and indirectly led to Claire Lynch’s game-winner in the 86th minute as that plus a pair of goals and an assist from Maddie Irwin paced the Lobos to a 4-3 victory over Idaho State on Sunday afternoon at Davis Field.
After the Lobos (2-2-1) let a 3-1 advantage 22 minutes into the contest slip away thanks to Idaho State (2-4) goals in the 36th and 56th minute, UNM was awarded a throw in with four minutes remaining in regulation.
Cabrales took the throw in and launched it into the penalty area and near the corner of the goal box. Irwin was there to head it to Lynch who one-timed it into the net for the game-winner in the 86th minute. It was Lynch’s second goal of the season.
The victory comes two days after the Lobos played Weber State to a 0-0 tie and UNM coach Heather Dyche was pleased with how her team responded.
“It was a really tough test for us to play 110 minutes against Weber State in 98-degree heat on Friday and then turn around and play a fresh, well-coached Idaho State team,” Dyche said. “I thought it was a gritty second-half effort for us to find a way to win and walk away with no losses this weekend.”
Lynch’s game-winner was UNM’s first goal on the day that didn’t come via a header and directly off a set play as the Lobos scored a trio of headers just 4 minutes, 25 seconds apart in the first half to rally from an early 1-0 deficit.
The first UNM goal came in the 17th minute when Cabrales launched a throw in from the sideline to in front of the goal where Hinman was there to head it in to tie the match, 1-1.
Just 1:11 later in the 19th minute Hinman struck a beautiful corner kick the 5-foot-11 Irwin was able to head in to give the Lobos a 2-1 advantage.
Irwin used that height advantage in the box again two minutes later when another beautifully place heave from the sideline by Cabrales was headed in by the senior for her second goal of the contest and third of the season to make it 3-1 UNM in the 22nd minute.
But Idaho State, which opened the scoring on an Esmeralda Nunez goal in the 10th minute, cut the UNM lead back to one before the end of the half when Michaela Didericksen scored in the 36th minute to make it 3-2.
The Bengals tied the match in the 56th minute when Samantha Rodriquez drilled a well-placed shot from the right corner of the penalty box into the top-left corner of the goal.
The Lobos were able to hold off Idaho State from that point on as Lynch’s game-winner sealed it for UNM.
UNM outshot Idaho State in the high-scoring affair 18-15, though the Bengals had the advantage on shots on goal at 9-7.
Irwin finished the contest with a team-high eight shots while Amelia Bierle and Hinman each took two apiece with both of Hinman’s going on goal.
Lobo keeper Tayler Hammack had six saves.
UNM returns to action Friday when it travels to participate in the Northern Arizona University Mountain Classic in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Lobos take on Grand Canyon University 4 p.m. Friday before facing host NAU 2 p.m. Sunday.
Notes: Maddie Irwin is the first Lobo to score multiple goals in a game since Madisyn Olguin did it against Air Force last season (Oct. 25, 2015). … Irwin is the first player with multiple goals in a non-conference game since Ruth Bruciaga had a hat trick against New Mexico State Sept. 19, 2014. … Irwin now has three career goals against Idaho State after scoring one last season against the Bengals during a Lobo 4-1 victory in Albuquerque. … Alexa Cabrales is the first Lobo to have multiple assists in a game since Quincy Slora had two assists against Fresno State last season (Oct. 18, 2015). … The Lobos are 3-0 against Idaho State in the program’s history with this being UNM’s first win in Pocatello.