ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico men’s soccer team has officially announced its 2017 schedule that will kick off with three home exhibition matches before the Lobos open the season on the road at Washington. UNM hosts its first regular-season home game on Friday, Sept. 1 against UNLV at 7 p.m.
Coming off of a Conference USA Tournament Championship and the program’s 12th NCAA appearance in 16 seasons, the Lobos will play an extremely challenging schedule to prepare for another trip to the NCAA postseason. Following exhibition play, which begins August 12 against Air Force, the Lobos will play 17 regular-season contests, nine of which are at home.
“We are really excited about our 2017 schedule,” head coach Jeremy Fishbein said. “Our philosophy is that to be the best, you have to compete against the best. Playing one of the most challenging schedules in the nation allows our players to test themselves against the country’s elite programs.”
The Lobos will open the regular season on the road at Washington on Friday, August 25. A fitting start to the season since it was a trip to Washington in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament that ended UNM’s successful run last season.
UNM’s schedule includes eight matches against teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament last season, six of which will be hosted at the UNM Soccer Complex. The Lobos have not lost a home contest since October 2015.
“We have tremendous home matches for our fans this season vs. NCAA tournament teams including UCLA, Kentucky, Charlotte, CSU Northridge, UNLV and Final Four participant Denver,” Fishbein said. “We are really excited about the opportunity to host so many talented teams.”
Other NCAA Tournament teams on the schedule include Washington and South Carolina, which UNM will face on the road August 25 and September 22, respectively.
The Lobos are returning a solid defense including a pair of All-Conference USA defenders in Tom Smart and Matthew Constant, goalkeeper Jason Beaulieu and 2017 U20 World Cup participant Aaron Herrera. In addition, UNM has added an extremely talented group of 11 that is sure to add depth to the Lobo roster.
“There will be no hiding this season,” Fishbein said. “We have outstanding home and road competition coming up and our guys will be ready! We will continue to work throughout the summer to ensure we are prepared.
“I can’t wait to get the season rolling.”
All scheduled dates and times are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, visit the schedule page at www.GoLobos.com throughout the season.