GAME NOTES | IN-GAME UPDATES ON @NMLOBOWSOCCER
NAU Mountain Classic
Flagstaff, Ariz.
Friday (Sept. 9) – UNM vs. Grand Canyon, 4 p.m.
Sunday (Sept. 11) – UNM vs. Northern Arizona, 2 p.m.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico women’s soccer team closes out its seven-game road stretch to start the season when the Lobos travel to participate in the Northern Arizona University Mountain Classic starting Friday.
UNM opens the event against Grand Canyon University 4 p.m. Friday and closes it out against host NAU 2 p.m. Sunday. It will conclude the longest road stretch for the Lobos since 2002 when UNM played 10 games in a row away from Albuquerque.
The Lobos are coming off another weekend on the road – this time against a pair of Big Sky schools in Weber State and Idaho State. UNM tied with Weber State 0-0 on Friday (Sept. 2) in Ogden, Utah, and used a Claire Lynch goal in the 86th minute to beat Idaho State 4-3 on Sunday (Sept. 4) in Pocatello, Idaho – along with two goals and an assist from Maddie Irwin. It was UNM’s first time playing at both schools.
NOTES HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND:
- Friday marks the first time the Lobos will face Grand Canyon University. The Antelopes enter the contest on a two-game winning streak after dropping their first four contests of the season. GCU defeated Northern Arizona 5-0 on Friday for their first win of 2016 before edging Northern Colorado 1-0 on Sunday – with both wins coming at home. Milla Benedetti, Rachel Mina and Madison Cox are pacing the Antelopes with two goals apiece while Blakely Fraasch has seen every minute for GCU at goalkeeper with a 1.49 goals against average.
- When UNM and Northern Arizona meet Sunday, it will be the 10th time the two schools have faced each other with the Lobos holding a 6-2-1 edge in the series. However, it will be the first time the two teams have met since Sept. 25, 2009, when the Lumberjacks won 2-1. The Lobos last defeated the Lumberjacks in 2007, a 1-0 win in Flagstaff. NAU enters this weekend 1-4 on the season, having lost three straight. The Lumberjacks’ lone win this season came at home against New Mexico State, 1-0. NAU has scored four goals this season with no player scoring more than one.
- In the victory over Idaho State, UNM senior Maddie Irwin scored twice on back-to-back headers less than four minutes apart in the first half to turn a 1-1 tie into a 3-1 advantage for the Lobos. Irwin then set up the game-winning goal when she headed a ball to Claire Lynch in the 86th minute who then one-timed it in for the game winner. Irwin is the first player with multiple goals in a non-conference match for the Lobos since Ruth Bruciaga had a hat trick against New Mexico State on Sept. 19, 2014. Also, Irwin has three of her eight career goals against Idaho State as she scored in last season’s 4-1 win over the Bengals in Albuquerque.
- Sunday’s 4-3 victory over Idaho State marked the first time in 19 years the Lobos allowed three goals and won a game. The last time the Lobos allowed three goals and won a contest was Oct. 5, 1997, when UNM defeated Oklahoma 5-3. It’s the second time in program history the Lobos have allowed three goals and won.
- During their 4-3 victory over Idaho State, the Lobos scored their first three goals all via headers – and within five minutes of each other to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead.
- Claire Lynch’s goal Sunday was the 11th of her career and has her approaching the program’s all-time top-10 list for goals. She’s one goal behind the No. 10 spot, occupied by Michelle Nowfel (1999-02), and three behind being tied for the No. 7 spot with a trio of former Lobos (Lindsey Guice, Zaneta Wyne and Dani Rangel).
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