UNM GAME NOTES | IN-GAME UPDATES ON @UNMLOBOWSOCCER
Friday, Sept. 15 – 7:30 p.m.
New Mexico vs. Houston
Albuquerque, N.M. – UNM Soccer Complex
LIVE STREAM / LIVE STATS
Sunday, Sept. 17 – 1 p.m.
New Mexico vs. Northern Arizona
Albuquerque, N.M. – UNM Soccer Complex
LIVE STREAM / LIVE STATS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico women’s soccer team returns to the comforts of the UNM Soccer Complex as the Lobos player their final two non-conference contests against Houston (7:30 p.m. Friday) and Northern Arizona (1 p.m. Sunday).
The Lobos (3-3) haven’t played in 11 days since falling to Washington 1-0 in overtime in Seattle on Sept. 4 – a goal that scored on a deflection. Three days earlier, however, UNM defeated Portland – a team with two national titles in the last 15 years – 1-0 on a goal by Claire Lynch in the 64th minute, assisted by Quincy Slora.
The Lobos have played Houston (3-2-1) only one other time in program history, a 4-0 win at home in 2002. The Cougars are coming off a 1-0-1 week where they defeated Southern Miss 4-0 and tied with Lamar 0-0. Houston has a first-year coach in Diego Bocanegra.
UNM took on NAU for the first time since 2009 last season and the teams played to a 0-0 tie in Flagstaff. Overall, the Lobos are 6-2-2 against the Lumberjacks and last defeated them in 2007 – 1-0 in Flagstaff. NAU is coached by Andre Luciano – who is in his 17th season with the program (136-137-47).
NOTES HEADING INTO FRIDAY:
- The UNM women’s soccer team – as of Sept. 10 – is one of 11 NCAA Division-I teams (333) to have all of their results be decided by one goal. Towson (3-4-1), Sacramento State (3-3-0), Northern Kentucky (3-4), Stephen F. Austin (3-3), East Carolina (4-2-1), Delaware (2-2-2), Lehigh (4-2-1), Arizona State (2-3-1), UMass-Lowell (2-1-3) and Penn (0-3-2) are the other 10 schools.
- Senior Claire Lynch’s goal against Portland on Sept. 1 gives her to 19 goals in her career, fourth on the UNM all-time list. The Albuquerque native is now five goals behind the No. 3 spot held by Nichole Highfil (24 goals from 1993-95). Laurie Hegedorn (1994-97) owns the all-time goal scoring record with 61 goals. Lynch has also proven to do it in when her team needs it the most as nine of her 19 goals are game-winning goals – good for third on the UNM all-time list. Her 38 career points is now tied for fifth place in school history.
- In her first year as a starter, sophomore Emily Johnson has already picked up three shutouts in her first six career starts – including blanking Portland on Sept. 1. Over the last five games, Johnson has allowed just two goals. One of those goals was during a 1-0 overtime loss to Washington – a game she made a career-high five saves.
- Six games into the season, UNM is showing it’s able to get chances at a better clip than in 2016. Last season UNM averaged 14.2 shots per game while this season UNM is averaging 17.0 shots per match (34th in the NCAA). UNM is also holding opponents to fewer shots per game thus far – limiting teams to 9.3 shots per contest compared to 13.1 last season. The Lobos’ 102 shots this season are second in the Mountain West.
- The University of New Mexico women’s soccer team truly represents the Land of Enchantment as there are 13 players on the roster from New Mexico. The 13 players come from four different cities with Albuquerque represented the most with 10 players. The Lobos also have a player each from Rio Rancho, Portales and Carlsbad.
- The Lobos have had their share of chances with corner kicks early in 2017 – leading the conference and 27th in the country at 6.67 per game.
- Senior Emily Chavez enters her fourth season as a starter for the Lobos and is on a 62-match starting streak. Not only has the Albuquerque native started every game of her Lobo career, the center back has led the Lobos in minutes played each season and has accumulated more than 5,000 career minutes at UNM. She’s played all 547 minutes for the Lobos this season.
- Along with the success on the field, the UNM women’s soccer program is proving to be one of the top teams off of it as well as the Lobos put together a 3.77 GPA in the 2017 spring semester. It’s the 14th-consecutive semester UNM women’s soccer has put together a 3.4 GPA or better.
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