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Maly scores twice in 2-1 win over Utah State

LOGAN, UT. — Maintaining the momentum from two home match wins, The University of New Mexico women’s soccer team defeated the Utah State Aggies 2-1 on Friday afternoon at the Bell Soccer Field in Logan, UT. All goals scored in the match came in the first half, and the two Lobo goals were both netted by redshirt-junior Gwen Maly in the seventh minute and again in the 29th.
 
Maly’s two goals mark the first match in which a Lobo has scored multiple goals this season. She also now is the team-leader with five on the season.
 
The Lobos (8-4-0, 4-1-0), who are now riding a four-match winning streak, have been quick to get on the board in each of those matches as the Lobos have scored before the 15-minute mark. In the first six minutes of Friday’s match, both the Lobos and Aggies (6-6-1, 1-3-1) were without a shot.
 
The first shot by either team in the match was a goal by Maly in the seventh minute. Sophomore Jadyn Edwards gained possession of the ball at the near end of the field, made a quick turn infield and lost her Aggie defender. She then hammered a ball inside the box, finding Gwen Maly who immediately took a shot, finding the back of the net.
 
The Lobos maintained the lead until the 19th minute of the match, when Utah State’s Ashley Cardozo shot a quick pass to Kami Warner inside the box. Warner managed to shoot the ball just out of Lobo redshirt-sophomore goalie, Malia Vanisi’s reach, and into the net, tying the game at one a-piece.
 
10 minutes into the tied match, a foul on Utah State granted the Lobos a free kick opportunity which Maly was elected to take. With a wall of Aggies in front of her, Maly took a moment to compose her shot, and then pounded the ball past the wall of Aggies and into the top left corner out of the net, just out of reach for the Aggie goalie.
 
The Lobos managed to keep the 2-1 lead for the remainder of the match with help from the tremendous performance from the Lobo defense. Vanisi saw six shots on goal in the second half alone, compared to just two in the first. Utah State also took twice as many shots in the second half (6) compared to the first (3).
 
The Lobos look to continue their four-game win streak on the road as they take on Boise State in Boise, Idaho on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both teams will enter the game at 4-1-0 in league play and tied for the top spot in the standings. The Lobos will stay on the road for two more conference contests, the first being Colorado College on October 18 and then Air Force on October 20.