(RV) New Mexico vs. Marshall
Saturday, Oct. 22 – 1 p.m. (MT)
Albuquerque, N.M. | UNM Soccer Complex (6,200)
THIS WEEK’S GAME NOTES
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — After a two-game road stint, The University of New Mexico men’s soccer team is returning home Saturday afternoon as it hosts Marshall University in Conference-USA action at 1 p.m. The Lobos, who are still receiving votes in the NSCAA Coaches Poll, look to continue their undefeated home streak Saturday, which is now stretched to six. UNM will also remain home for three of its next four games, which are all conference games.
PARKING – The men’s soccer team will kick off (and end) prior to Saturday night’s home football game. Because both games are on Saturday, fans attending the men’s soccer game are asked to park in the Stadium East lot. There will be a $10 charge to park.
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS
IN-MATCH UPDATES @LoboMensSoccer
Saturday’s match is an important one as it marks the first of the final four Conference USA games left in the season. Both Marshall and UNM are tied in the league standings with 1-3 records and look to move up with a win Saturday. The Lobos are coming off of a close, double-overtime loss to No. 5 Denver on Wednesday night in which the Pioneers struck with just eight seconds left in the second overtime to claim the 2-1 win. The contest marked the fourth time this season that the Lobos have fallen to a nationally-ranked opponent by just one goal.
Series Record vs. Marshall
2-1-1
In Overtime: 0-0-1
Last Meeting: Last season, the Lobos traveled to Marshall where the squads played to a 1-1 draw after double overtime. Marshall’s Daniel Jodah scored the go-ahead goal for the Herd just 46 seconds into the second half before Chris Wehan netted the equalizer in the 58th minute (assisted by Sam Gleadle) to force overtime.
Scouting Marshall
The Herd is coming off of a 2-1 loss against FIU in double overtime on Saturday (the Lobos topped FIU 4-1 on Sept. 30). The loss is the second straight for Marshall and the fourth in the Herd’s last five games. Marshall is currently tied with the Lobos for seventh place in the C-USA standings, each team has three points and a 1-3 C-USA record. The Herd is led offensively by Daniel Jodah who has registered nine points on three goals and three assists this season. Defensively, starting goalkeeper Trevor Clemens has started 10 of Marshall’s 14 games and has accumulated a .750 save percentage and three shutouts.
Last Time Out
The Lobos fought hard against the fifth-ranked team in the nation, Denver, on Wednesday night, but ultimately fell in double-overtime with just eight seconds left to play. The contest marks the third time UNM has lost in overtime this season and the fifth time the Lobos have fallen on the road. Denver scored just under seven minutes into the second period to take a 1-0 lead before senior Nick Rochowski netted his second goal of the season in the 88th minute to send the teams to overtime.
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 conference win on Saturday.
When The Lobos Score First, They Win!
The Lobos are a confident 7-0 this season when they score first and have lost all six 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 seven games on the road (including a neutral-site match up) and have lost six of them. Five of those losses came vs currently ranked opponents including Notre Dame, Indiana, Kentucky, Charlotte and Denver.
UNM in the Conference
The Lobos are currently ranked first in the league in shots on goal per game with 6.62, second in shots per game (14.00) and third in scoring offense (1.46 goals per game). Defensively, the Lobos are fourth in save percentage (0.792) and shutout percentage (0.38).
Hansen Still in the Lead
Senior Niko Hansen continues to lead Conference USA in five categories: total goals (9), total points (19), points per game (1.46), shots on goal per game (1.85) and game-winning goals (4). In addition, Hansen ranks in the top 20 in the nation in three of the former five 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.