Lobos head to Alabama for CUSA clash with UAB
 |
 |
| NEW MEXICO LOBOS 3-8-0 (1-2-0 C-USA) |
UAB BLAZERS 2-6-2 (0-3-1 C-USA) |
|
Saturday, October 6, 2018 | 6 p.m. (MT) |
|
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Down to just a Conference USA slate remaining on the 2018 regular season schedule, the University of New Mexico men’s soccer team is set to travel to Alabama to take on UAB on Saturday night. At 1-2-0 in conference play right now, the Lobos are currently tied for fifth-place in the C-USA standings with four more weeks to go. UAB is two points back of the Lobos, who enter play with three (3) points.
Remaining on UNM’s schedule after UAB are home games with South Carolina (10/13) and Marshall (10/27), and road contests at Kentucky (10/21) and Charlotte (11/3). The top seven (7) teams determined by points following the regular season will qualify for a single-elimination Conference USA Tournament.
vs. UAB
Series Record: 5-1-1
In Overtime: 0-0-0
When UAB is Ranked: 2-0-0
Last Meeting: A year ago, UNM and UAB played in a Conference USA match and it was the Lobos who came away with the win, 2-0. The first goal of that match was an own-goal by UAB and Antoine Vial netted the second off of an assist by Simon Spangenberg.
Conference Play Straight Ahead
After falling short in the conference opener (L 1-2) to RV Old Dominion, the Lobos regained momentum, defeating Florid Atlantic (W 2-0). This game was the first Lobo shutout of the season, with four shots on goal saved by freshman goalie, Alex Fetterly. The Lobos fell short in conference play against Florida International (L 2-4), but look ahead as the team faces only Conference USA opponents for the rest of the season.
The First of Many for the Lobos
The Lobos 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. The Lobos, with their first shutout of the season against Florida Atlantic, had two new scorers to add to the stat book. Senior Simon Spangenberg and redshirt sophomore Billy Jones both posted their first goals for the 2018 season against FAU. This was also Jones’ first goal for the Lobos.
Shutouts are a Lobo specialty
Since 2015, the Lobos have forced 16 shutouts, adding one to the record this season already. In conference play, UAB (2-6-2, 0-3-1) knows this feeling all too well, as they have been scoreless against the
Lobos in two of their past three meetings. The Lobos are set to meet with the Blazers on October 6 in Birmingham.
Schedule Full of Ranked Teams
Four of UNM’s first five matchups of the season have been against ranked squads at the time of the game including No. 22 Seattle, No. 24 Washington, No. 30 Cal State Fullerton and No. 23 Tulsa. Half of those ranked matchups came at home with the Lobos hosting Seattle and Washington in consecutive games. UNM went 1-1 against those opponents and is also 1-1 against ranked teams on the road.
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 the first 11 games, the Lobos have racked up 51 points on 17 goals with 17 assists, placing the team third in the C-USA for goals. Individually, Tom Smart is first in the C-USA in assists, racking up six thus far. Matt Puig and Nick Taylor are also in the top-10 list in the C-USA for assists, ranking in a tie for fifth with three assists apiece.
Scores Galore!
Last season, the Lobos scored 25 goals all season. With 17 goals in 11 games, UNM already over the halfway mark to matching last year’s goal total. Four players scored three goals or more in 2017, but this 2018 squad features three players with at least three goals and another two that are a goal shy of the mark. Freshman Omar Grey currently leads the team with five goals, followed by sophomore Matt Puig with four. Sophomore Nick Taylor recently registered his third goal. Seniors Simon Spangenberg and Antoine Vial have two goals each, while redshirt sophomore Billy Jones has accounted the remaining goal for UNM.
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 11 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 eight games and registered 35 saves for a .686 save percentage in 733:40 minutes. Fetterly has started the 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.