Lobos open MW play on road at Colorado St. and Wyoming
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| NEW MEXICO LOBOS 4-3-0 (0-0-0 MW) |
COLORADO STATE RAMS 5-2-1 (0-0-0 MW) |
WYOMING COWGIRLS 3-2-3 (0-0-0 MW) |
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Friday, September 27 – 4 p.m. |
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Sunday, September 29 – 1 p.m. |
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Kicking Off
A challenging non-conference slate that featured five road games, three games against Power 5 teams and one against a ranked opponent has come to a close with the University of New Mexico women’s soccer team posting a winning record at 4-3-0. Picked to finish third in the Mountain West according to the preseason coaches poll, the Lobos begin league play on the road this weekend as they will travel to Colorado State on Friday and Wyoming on Sunday.
Colorado State is off to its best start in program history at 5-2-1 overall. Having started their program back in 2013, the Rams have only won five or more games once, doing so last year when they finished 6-9-4. This will be the seventh meeting all-time between the Lobos and the Rams with the Lobos having won the previous six.
Offensively, the Rams have scored 13 goals with a majority of those coming from two players. Caeley Lordemann and Kristen Noonan both have scored five goals each for the Rams. In goal, the Rams have played just one keeper in Gabi McDonald. In eight games, McDonald has allowed just seven goals against and has posted four shutouts.
Prior to taking on the Lobos, Wyoming will play their first MW game at home against San Diego State on Friday. The Cowgirls are 3-2-3 heading into the weekend. Of their eight games played, five have gone to double overtime including each of their last two.
Offensively, the Cowgirls have scored 15 goals this season with seven different goal scorers. Indianna Asimus leads the team with four goals. In goal, the Cowgirls have had Hanna Lee and Riley Furbush share time. Lee has logged the most minutes and has made 25 saves in eight games.
UNM News and Notes
Between the Pipes
Going back to last season, the Lobos have had quality options of goalkeeper with Emily Johnson and Malia Vanisi equally as capable. Last year, Johnson received a majority of the time in goal for the Lobos and started the first two games this season, which included an impressive 1-0 shutout of then-ranked No. 22 Texas Tech, but an injury has sidelined Johnson opening the door for Vanisi to step in.
In the five games that Vanisi has played, she has allowed four goals and posted 20 saves while registering a pair of shutouts. The two shutouts have come in Vanisi and the Lobos’ most-recent games.
Combined, Johnson and Vanisi have turned in three clean sheets. Last season, the Lobos had just one defensive shutout.
Offense Gaining Momentum
After scoring two goals through their first four games, the Lobos offense has began to pick up steam as they have scored six goals over their last three games, all wins. Additionally, those six goals have been scored by six different players.
One-Goal Difference
Thus far, six of the seven games played by the Lobos this season have been one-goal games. In those games, the Lobos are 3-3. Last season, the Lobos played 12 one-goal games and posted a 7-5 record.
EJ Named MW Defensive Player of the Week
Senior goalkeeper Emily Johnson earned the first MW Defensive Player of the Week award for the 2019 season after she withstood an unrelenting offensive attack by the No.22-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders for the entirety of the 90-minute match en route to a clean sheet.
In the first half, Johnson faced 10 shots and made three saves. In the second half, with the Lobos holding a 1-0 lead, Johnson was forced to face 12 shots and made four more saves. The individual shutout posted by Johnson was her eighth as the Lobo goalkeeper and the weekly conference plaudit was the second in her career as well.
Knocking Off Nationally-Ranked Foe
Historically, the Lobos have played 33 matches against a ranked opponent coming into the 2019 season. All-time the Lobos’ record vs. ranked opponents was 4-25-5. Coming off of their NCAA Second Round run a year ago, UNM’s first opponent, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, were ranked No. 22 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll.
This year’s meeting marked the fourth time that the Lobos would play the Red Raiders when they were ranked. In those games, the Lobos were 0-3-0, but a “1” was added to the win column for the Lobos after they pulled off a 1-0 upset win of the Red Raiders.
The win snapped what was a five-game losing streak to the Red Raiders and was the first win for the Lobos over a ranked opponent since 2010 when they beat No. 8-ranked BYU.
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 as a freshman 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.
Garcia has wasted no time in adding to her total as her penalty kick goal in the waining seconds of the first half against No. 22-ranked Texas Tech stood up as the game-winner. Garcia, now with six career game-winners to her credit is tied for fifth all-time.
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 15 times to place her currently sixth all-time at UNM. In her senior campaign, Hix is now just three 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. Currently, the Lobos are 2-2-0 on the road.