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Lobos pick up big road win at Colorado College, 1-0

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With the regular season hitting the stretch run, the University of New Mexico women’s soccer team kept pace with the top teams in the Mountain West thanks to their 1-0 win over Colorado College on Friday night out at Stewart Field.
 
The win improves the Lobos’ MW record to 5-2-0 and keeps them in a tie for second place in the conference standings. Colorado State and San Diego State all won on Friday as well to move to 5-2-0. League-leading Boise State also won to stay a game up at 6-1-0.
 
In Friday’s game, the Lobos (9-5-0, 5-2-0 MW) and Tigers (8-5-0, 3-4-0 MW) played a scoreless opening half, but that did not mean there were not scoring opportunities for both sides. Through the first 45 minutes, each team had at least six shots with the Tigers taking 10. Three of the Tigers’ shots were on goal with UNM goalkeeper Malia Vanisi and the defensive backline keeping the ball from finding the back of the net. Two of those saves came at the goal line with the final one coming in the waining seconds of the first half.
 

For the Lobos, two of their shots were on target with Colorado College keeper Molly Hiniker making each save.
 
The second half continued to see both teams get scoring looks as they combined for 20 shots. UNM out-shot the Tigers 11-9 in the second half, but only two of those were on goal. Conversely, five of the Tigers’ nine shots were on goal. Despite the pressure being applied by Colorado College, Vanisi did not waiver as she made a career-high nine saves en route to posting her fourth clean sheet of the season.
 
While the shots on goal were relatively low in the second half for the Lobos, they made the most of their opportunities and scored the game’s lone goal in the 58th minute. That score was setup by a corner kick triggered by Kate Browning. Browning’s play drove the ball to the top of the 18-yard box where it skipped past a couple of players and made its way to the right foot of Alexa Kirton. She one-touched an arching shot that was just out of the reach of Hiniker and ended up in the back of the net for a goal.
 

The goal was the first of the season for Kirton and the third of her career. The assist from Browning was also her first of the season and her career.
 
The Lobos will remain in the Colorado Springs area through the weekend as they will prepare to take on Air Force on Sunday afternoon. Kick-off for that game is scheduled for Noon.