Lobos Open Exhibition Season with 2-0 Win Over Fort Lewis
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Maysa Walters and Karlee Maes had unassisted goals as New Mexico dominated the run of play in a 2-0 exhibition victory over the Fort Lewis Skyhawks in front of 473 fans at the UNM Soccer Complex.
The Lobos have one more exhibition match, next week against Adams State on August 26 at the UNM Soccer Complex, but UNM now opens its season in just three days, traveling to Las Vegas to take on UC Davis on Thursday at 5:30 pm Mountain Time.
The Lobos and Fort Lewis played a regulation match, but the 90 minutes were spread out over three periods. After a scoreless first period which saw UNM starting keeper Emily Johnson make two saves including a breakaway chance, UNM got on the board late in the second period. Maysa Walters had a shot block and the ball bounced right back to her just outside the 18. She pulled the ball back and let go a rocket from outside the 18-yard line that caught the corner, giving UNM a 1-0 lead.
The Lobos made it 2-0 early in the final stanza when Karlee Maes followed up a long through ball that Fort Lewis’ keeper Riley Bravin mishandled. Maes took the ball, settled it and hammered it home into an empty net for a 2-0 lead.
UNM defense was rarely threatened until the final seconds. Johnson had two saves and Malia Vanisi didn’t face a shot in her 30 minutes. Alli Davis, making her collegiate debut played the third and had the save of the match, an acrobatic diving stop of a shot that was ticketed for the upper corner. Davis parried it away in the final seconds to preserve the shutout.
UNM and Fort Lewis both subbed liberally as the teams played with free substitutions. UNM outshot Fort Lewis 16-5, with eight shots on net to just three for the Skyhawks.
