ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobo soccer team opens up the 2023-24 athletic season at The University of New Mexico on Wednesday with a morning exhibition against UTEP.
Set to start at 11 a.m., the exhibition against the Miners will be the first of two exhibitions for the Lobos as they prepare for the regular season and the first of five-straight home contests. Admission for both exhibitions is free.
UNM returns to the pitch following a 7-3-9 campaign in 2022, in which the Lobos claimed their third consecutive Mountain West regular-season championship.
From a roster standpoint, while the Lobos lost their top-two scorers to graduation in Jadyn Edwards and Leilani Baker, they are bolstered by seven returning starters and a defense that enters the season with a streak of 602 consecutive shutout minutes and six clean sheets in redshirt-sophomore Alli Davis between the posts and senior defender Myah Isais, who has started 56 matches and appeared in 68 matches with 5,324 minutes to date.
Offensively, the Lobos return junior Zaria Katesigwa, who has started in 34 games, scored 13 goals and has played 1,784 minutes in her first two seasons.
The Lobos added 10 newcomers in the offseason with seven freshmen and three transfers, which includes another experienced goalkeeper in redshirt-senior Mariah Scott and a front-line player in redshirt-junior Margaux Clarke.
UNM opens the regular season against Texas Tech on Aug. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Pride Passes are still available to purchase for $50, giving fans admission to all home soccer matches as well as all home volleyball, softball, baseball and track and field events.