Lobo Fall to Oregon State 3-0
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Oregon State took advantage of soccer nets being 8-feet high instead 7-feet, 11-inches, banging two balls in off the underside of the crossbar, handing UNM a 3-0 loss in UNM’s home opener, ending UNM’s seven-match home winning streak.
The loss denied UNM a chance to tie the school record for the longest home winning streak in school history as the team went 8-0 over the back end of the 2009 season and the front end of 2010.
UNM will get a week to lick their wounds from this one. The Lobos will host the Washington Huskies next Sunday, September 5 at noon at the UNM Soccer Complex.
The Lobos and Oregon State battled even early, but it was Oregon State that got on the board first. Sophie Conrad’s long cross-box pass went to UNM, but their clearance was stolen by Helena Brown, who centered to Amber Jackson. Jackson’s shot doinked off the bottom of the cross bar and settled just over the line for a 1-0 lead at the 13:29 mark.
UNM has a goalden opportunity to tie minutes later when Zaria Katesigwa got a ball in the box, but her shot was knocked away by Bridgette Skiba. 34 minutes in, UNM caught a bad break, and OSU a good one when Aidan Brown attempted to corral a ball around 25 yards out, but the ball banged off her arm. Everyone stopped, even Brown for a second, but play continued, and Brown took one touch and launched a shot in to the lower right corner of the net past Emily Johnson for a 2-0 lead.
UNM again had a change in the dying moments of the half to cut the lead to 2-1 when Alexa Kirton headed a corner that went to Jadyn Edwards. Edwards’ header into the corner was against stopped by Skiba.
OSU put the game out of reach in the 52nd minute on a brilliant goal, with Maddy Ellsworth diving into the box around 9-yard out to head on home past a helpless Johnson off a free kick from Laura Galceran.
The Lobos weren’t done, and kept countering on Oregon State. UNM’s best chance came with 13 minutes left when Gabi Franco got loose at the top of the box, but her shot went just over the top of the net.