(RV) New Mexico at No. 5 Denver
Wednesday, Oct. 19 – 7 p.m. (MT)
Denver, Colo. | CIBER Field (1,915)
GAME NOTES
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — After a disappointing loss to Conference USA foe Florida Atlantic on Saturday, the Lobos are back in action on Wednesday as they travel to No. 5 Denver for their final non-conference match of the season.
“We need to continue to move on and prepare for our next match,” head coach Jeremy Fishbein said. “The loss to FAU was a bad one. We controlled the game, created numerous chances, but didn’t finish. There is still a lot ahead of us and the next five games will define our season, I really like this group.”
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Wednesday’s match will mark the fourth time this season that the Lobos have faced a ranked team. UNM fell to Indiana, Notre Dame and Charlotte all by one goal. In addition, all four goals scored against New Mexico in those three contests were off of penalty kicks. Despite three losses in their last five games, UNM is still receiving votes in the NSCAA Coaches Poll and looks to close its season on a high note, starting with this week’s games.
With four conference games left, the Lobos still have an opportunity to end league play with a winning record and make the C-USA tournament. Following the contest on Wednesday, UNM will resume C-USA play on Saturday when the Lobos host Marshall on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m.
Series Record vs. No. 5 Denver
20-12-3
When Denver Ranked: 2-1-0
In Overtime: 2-1-3
Last Meeting: The last time the Lobos faced the Pioneers was on Nov. 9, 2012. Then-ranked No. 9 UNM shut out Denver 3-0 in the MPSF Tournament in Albuquerque before going on to take down Air Force in penalty kicks and move on to the NCAA Tournament. That season, the Lobos reached the NCAA Sweet 16.
Scouting Denver
The Pioneers are currently ranked No. 5 in the NSCAA Coaches Poll and in the top eight in the other three major national polls due to their undefeated season heading into Wednesday’s game. Denver enters the matchup with the Lobos 12-0-2, the ties coming from games against Creighton and Monmouth. The Pioneers have 10 scorers on the team this season, giving them a well-rounded attack. The Denver offense is led by Blake Elder who has 13 points on six goals and one assist. Defensively, keeper Nick Gardner has seen all 1300 minutes in net for Denver, averages 0.48 goals against and has recorded nine shutouts this season.
Last Time Out
The Lobos suffered a disappointing loss to C-USA foe Florida Atlantic on Saturday, surrendering one goal in the 72nd minute before Luke Lawrence tied it up in the 87th. The Owls scored the gamewinner in double overtime (102:31).
Down, But Not Out
Despite the Lobos recent road struggles, UNM is still receiving votes in the NSCAA Coaches Poll. New Mexico has been ranked on an off this season, but has a chance to get back into the rankings with a pair of wins this week.
Lobos vs. Ranked
The Lobos are set to face No. 5 Denver on Wednesday and enter the match 0-3 against ranked teams this season. UNM has allowed four goals against ranked opponents in 2016, all on penalty kicks. Offensively however, UNM has posted 12.3 shots per game to 9.0 for its ranked opponents and has tallied more corner kicks, 20-16.
When The Lobos Score First, They Win!
The Lobos are a confident 7-0 this season when they score first and have lost all five games in which they have allowed their opponent to net the first goal of the match.
Road Struggles
UNM remains 6-0 at home but has struggled on the road this season. The Lobos have played six games on the road (including a neutral-site match up) and have lost five of them. Four of those losses came vs currently ranked opponents including Notre Dame, Indiana, Kentucky and Charlotte.
UNM in the Conference
The Lobos are currently ranked first in the league in shots on goal per game with 7.00, second in shots per game (14.25) and third in scoring offense (1.50 goals per game). Defensively, the Lobos are third in save percentage (0.816) and shutout percentage (0.42).
Hansen Still in the Lead
Senior Niko Hansen continues to lead Conference USA in six categories: total goals (9), total points (19), goals per game (0.75), points per game (1.58), shots on goal per game (2.00) and game-winning goals (4). In addition, Hansen ranks in the top 15 in the nation in five of the former six categories.
Preseason Honors
The Lobos were picked to finish tied for fourth in Conference USA with South Carolina as voted on by the league’s coaches. In addition, seniors Chris Wehan and Niko Hansen were selected to the 2016 Preseason All-Conference USA Team. Wehan was also named to the MAC Hermann Trophy preseason watch list for the second straight season.
Lobo Soccer: A Mile High and Louder Than …
The UNM Soccer Complex is building a reputation as one of the nation’s toughest venues to play in. In addition to being “a mile high and louder than…”, New Mexico has turned Albuquerque into one of the hottest tickets in college soccer. The Lobos have ranked in the top 15 in attendance nationally every season since the NCAA began keeping those statistics in 2001. It was first in attendance nationally in 2005 and ranked in the top 10 from 2009-2014. In 2015, the Lobos continued the streak among the nation’s attendance leaders hosting 16,918 fans (1,691 per game average) for 15th overall in the country.
International Pride
While the diversity of the team roster is obvious, many Lobos have some serious international credentials. Five have represented their country in top-level international competition: Patrick Khouri (Jamaica U20 World Cup qualifier, US U15), Aaron Herrera (US U20 – currently preparing for U20 World Cup qualification); Matthew Constant (US U17 National team and Canada U20 National team); Billy Jones (captained New Zealand U17 in select World Cup quailfying matches); Rafa Jimenez (Australian U20 World Cup quaifying team).
Excelling Off the Pitch
Lobo Soccer has a rich tradition of academic success. During the Fishbein era (2002 to present), UNM has had 19 Academic All-Americans – more than any other men’s soccer program in the country among all divisions. In addition, the Lobos have garnered 92 Academic All-Conference honorees and 12 NSCAA Scholar All-Americans under Fishbein’s tutelage. As a team, the Lobos have earned the NSCAA Academic Team Award in 12 of the last 13 seasons.