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| NEW MEXICO LOBOS 4-9-0 (2-3-0 C-USA) |
KENTUCKY WILDCATS 11-1-1 (4-1-0 C-USA) |
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Sunday, October 21, 2018 | 11 a.m. (MT) |
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Coming off of a 2-1 win at home against South Carolina in Conference USA play last Saturday, the University of New Mexico men’s soccer team takes to the road this weekend and will face a huge test against No. 3-ranked Kentucky on Sunday, October 21. First-kick is slated for 11 a.m. (MT).
Making it a tough road test is the fact that the University of Kentucky men’s soccer team is enjoying a tremendous 2018 season. Currently ranked in the top-5 in the country, the Wildcats enter play this week with an 11-1-1 overall record and are tied for the lead in Conference USA at 4-1-0 in league play. UK is coming off of a non-conference game this past Tuesday as they went to Columbus, Ohio and shutout Ohio State University 3-0.
This season, the Wildcats rank in the top-40 in goals scored, but possess one of the stingiest defenses in the country, ranking 4th in DI in goals against average and 2nd in shutout percentage as only three of their games have not ended in a shutout.
vs. Kentucky
Series Record: 1-4-1
In Overtime: 0-1-1
When UK is Ranked: 0-1-1
Last Meeting: Last year, the Wildcats upended the Lobos 1-0 in Albuquerque. The decisive goal came in the latter stages of the first half as Kentucky’s Amie Mabika made good on a penalty kick attempt in the 45th minute.
The last time the Lobos and Wildcats met in Lexington came in 2016. That game was also a 1-0 win for Kentucky. That time, the Wildcats scored in the 6th minute of the game and were able to make that hold up.
Stretch Run of Conference Play
The Lobos are down to just three more games in C-USA play as they continue to push towards the conference tournament. In their most-recent C-USA game, the Lobos upended South Carolina at home 2-1. That win was extremely significant to the Lobos’ postseason aspirations as it vaulted them from eighth place in the standings to sixth place.
The top-seven teams in the standings make the C-USA Tournament. What’s left on the Lobos conference docket are road games at #3 Kentucky this Sunday and at Charlotte (11/3). In between those two road affairs is the Lobos final home game of the season against Marshall on October 27.
It Starts With One
The Lobos have proved that they have more than just a few go-to players, but rather a whole team of talent which provides for an offense that is hard for opponents to track. With their first shutout of the season against Florida Atlantic (9/22), the Lobos had two new scorers to add to the stat sheet. Senior Simon Spangerberg and redshirt sophomore Billy Jones both posted their first goals for the 2018 season against FAU. It was also Jones’ first career goal for the Lobos.
On the season, UNM has scored 19 goals with eight different players registering at least one goal. In the most-recent game, Grayson Dupont and Matt Dorsey became the seventh and eighth goal-scorers for the Lobos as both found the back of the net for the first time this season.
Schedule Full of Ranked teams
Yet another nationally-ranked opponent awaits the Lobos on their schedule as they are set to play nationally-ranked Kentucky, who will enter play ranked in the top-5 in a pair of national polls. The influx of nationally-ranked foes started early in the season for the Lobos as four of UNM’s first five matchups of the season were against ranked squads at the time of the game including No. 22 Seattle (8/24) , No. 24 Washington (8/27), No. 30 Cal State Fullerton (9/2) and No. 23 Tulsa (9/7). Half of those ranked matchups came at home with the Lobos hosting Seattle and Washington in consecutive games. UNM went 1-1-0 against those opponents and were also 1-1-0 against ranked teams on the road during that early stretch.
In their victories against Seattle and Cal State Fullerton, the Lobos scored a combined nine goals with five coming against Cal State Fullerton. CSUN was also ranked at one point this season, making the first five squads the Lobos have taken on, be top-30 teams in 2018. Old Dominion was receiving votes in the national poll at the time of the game against the Lobos and now the Monarchs are currently ranked. Saint Mary’s, UNM’s opponent on September 26 was ranked No. 10 at the time making them the sixth opponent the Lobos have played be ranked at the time of the game.
Offensively Speaking
In 13 games, the Lobos have racked up 57 points on 19 goals with 19 assists, ranking the team fourth in goals, third in points in the C-USA and fourth in assists. Individually, Tom Smart is tied for first in the C-USA in assists, racking up six thus far. Nick Taylor is also in the top-10 list in the C-USA for assists, ranking in a tie for fifth with four assists.
Scoreboard
Entering play this weekend, the Lobos have scored 19 goals in 13 games. Freshman Omar Grey currently leads the team with five goals, followed by sophomore Matt Puig with four. Sophomore Nick Taylor is third on the team with three. Seniors Simon Spangenberg and Antoine Vial have two goals each. Redshirt sophomores Billy Jones and Grayson Dupont as well as redshirt senior Matt Dorsey account for the remaining goals with one apiece.
Freshman Phenom
Freshman midfielder Omar Grey has gotten his collegiate career off to a resounding start. The Seattle, Wash. native has not started a game yet for UNM, but has played in all 13 games thus far. Despite not being a starter, Grey has come off the bench and sparked the Lobos’ offense as he currently leads the team with five goals. Four of those came in consecutive games (9/2 – 9/15).
Two Protecting One
Redshirt-junior Ford Parker and true freshman Alex Fetterly have both seen time in goal for the Lobos this season with Parker getting the lion’s share of the work thus far. Parker has started 10 games and registered 43 saves for a .672 save percentage in 913:40 minutes. Fetterly has started three games and logged the lone shutout for the team this season, blanking FAU. On the season, Fetterly has saved 84% of shots on goal he has faced.