Women's soccer welcomes CSU-Pueblo for final tuneup

NEW MEXICO LOBOS 13-6-2 (7-2-2 MW)*	CSU-PUEBLO THUNDERWOLVES 9-6-3 (6-5-2 RMAC)*
Wednesday, August 20 – 7:30 p.m. UNM Soccer Complex | Albuquerque, N.M. LIVE STATS | UNM NOTES

Kicking Off
One final tuneup for the 2019 season awaits the University of New Mexico women’s soccer team as they are set to host Colorado State University-Pueblo in an exhibition game at home on Wednesday, August 21.

This will be second exhibition game for the Lobos with their first coming this past Saturday against NCAA Division II perennial power Colorado School of Mines. The Lobos went on to win that exhibition opener by a score of 3-0. In that game, the Lobos had goals scored from three different players as Leilani Baker, Cami Floth and Gwen Maly all found the back of the net against the Orediggers. In net, the Lobos platooned their two goalkeepers with Emily Johnson and Malia Vanisi each seeing time between the posts. Johnson, a senior from Western Springs, Ill., got the start and faced just four shots, but none of those were on goal. Vanisi handled the entirety of the second half and faced five shots, making a pair of saves to preserve the shutout.

Just a few short days following this exhibition with CSU-Pueblo, the Lobos will take to the pitch in earnest on Sunday, August 25. That night the Lobos will play host to No. 22-ranked Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are coming off of a 14-5-3 campaign that saw them advance to the NCAA Second Round. Kick-off for the game with Tech will be at 7 p.m.
 
UNM News and Notes
Looking To Build off Last season
Last season was a banner year for the UNM women’s soccer team. In the fourth season under head coach Heather Dyche, the Lobos posted their most wins since 2009 with 13. The 2018 squad also posted a 7-2-2 record in the Mountain West to claim a share of the regular season title. Additionally, the Lobos appeared in the MW Tournament title game for the second-straight season, narrowly missing out on the NCAA Tournament.

By the Numbers
Here is what is returning and missing for the 2018 Lobos.

Potent Top-25 Offense Paces the MW
Last season, UNM women’s soccer possessed one of the most potent offenses in the country. Having scored multiple goals in 15 of their 21 games, the Lobos ended the year with 45 goals. Those 45 goals established a new single-season program record, led the Mountain West and ranked 25th in all of Division I.

Nine Newcomers to the Fold
The Lobos did not lose much from their team a year ago as the 2018 iteration boasted just three seniors. Despite that, the Lobos have bolstered their roster with depth and talent thanks to the addition of nine newcomers to the fold. Listed among those newcomers are Allison Arend, Alexis Christiansen, Alix Hailey, Myah Isais, Juliana Kotsios, Paris McKenzie, Dani Mosher, Akane Takada and Maysa Walters. Takada is the lone newcomer not entering as a true freshman as she is transferring from junior college power Tyler JC.

Garcia and Game-Winners
Sophomore forward Alesia Garcia wasted little time in establishing herself as one of the top scoring threats in the MW as she ranked in a tie for second with seven goals. While any goal is important, all but two of Garcia’s were extremely important as they ended up being game-winning goals. Her five game-winners were tied for the second-most by a Lobo in a season and already place her in a tie for sixth on the career list.

Cornering the Market on Corner Kicks
This past season, the Lobos set a new program single-season record for corner kicks as they racked up a whopping 124 corners. That total led the Mountain West by nine as San José State was the next-closest with 113 corners.

Hix Knocking on Door of Top-5 in Goals
A two-time All-Mountain West First Team selection, Jessie Hix has turned in a stellar career thus far for her hometown team. Her prowess on the pitch is most evident offensively. For her career, Hix has found the back of the net 14 times to place her currently in a tie for sixth all-time at UNM. Entering her senior campaign, Hix is just four goals away from moving into the top-five in program history.

Road Warriors
Home games were kind to the Lobos last season as they went 8-1-1 while playing at the UNM Soccer Complex, but this year, the Lobos will be forced to be road warriors as 11 of their 18 scheduled regular season games will take place away from the Duke City. Last season, the Lobos had a mixed results on the road going 3-4-1.

Awards and Accolades
The 2018 season was one of the most successful in program history with 13 wins (tied for second-most) and an overall .686 winning percentage (highest since 2009 and third-best). That team success also yielded a bevy of individual awards.

At the conference level, the 2018 Lobos had the second-most all-conference honorees all-time with five. Of those, Jessie Hix, Gwen Maly and Jennifer Muñoz were named to the first team; matching the program standard of three first team honorees set in 2010.

Those three first team selections also went on to earn All-Pacific Region honors from the United Soccer Coaches. It was the first time since 2011 that the program had an all-region performer

If You Score First…
Being the first to find the back of the net virtually ensured a win for the Lobos a year ago. When scoring first in 2018, the Lobos posted an 11-1-1 record. Conversely, the Lobos were 2-5-1 last season when their opponent opened scoring.

Don’t Trail at Halftime
Last season, the Lobos entered their locker room either leading or tied in 15 of their 21 games. In those instances, the Lobos ended up posting a 12-2-1 record. When leading after the first 45 minutes, the Lobos were unbeaten with a 7-0-1 record.