DeGagne Scores as Lobos Drop 3-1 Season Opener to Aggies
LAS CRUCES, N.M.— Reminiscent of the 2023 meeting with New Mexico State, the Lobos fell behind early against the Aggies, however, this time UNM was unable to recover in the 3-1 season-opening loss Sunday afternoon.
The result was the third consecutive 3-1 final in the series, with the Lobos winning the other two. Additionally, all three of NMSU’s goals came within the first 15 minutes of play, with the Lobos’ lone goal by Natalie DeGagne with 27:44 showing on the clock.
NMSU opened the scoring 2:44 into the contest, with Kennedy Brown having a UNM’s first shot attempt at the 6:01 mark that went wide right of the goal. The Aggies added to their lead with a goal to the top right corner at the 11:07 mark and the deficit became 3-0 on a goal to the bottom right of the goal at 14:40.
UNM’s response came in the 28th minute set up by a free kick as Fiona Jenkins sent the ball into the box, with the ball loose before Alysa Whelchel was able to tap it to an open DeGagne, who took one dribble before shooting the ball to the top left corner for the goal. Whelchel and Sophia Roberts were both credited with the assist, which was the eighth career goal for DeGagne, the first career assist for Whelchel and the third career assist for Roberts.
DeGagne almost recorded her second goal of the half on a shot with 7:30 remaining that hit the top middle of the crossbar, the last good look for the Lobos as the score held 3-1 at the break.
UNM outshot NMSU 6-3 in the first 45 minutes, with the first shot on goal DeGagne’s kick that found the back of the net.
The Lobos created early chances in the first minutes of the second half, as a shot by Presley Devey less than three minutes into the bottom right of the net was saved by the Aggie keeper. A set piece with 35:46 on the clock provided another opportunity to cut into the deficit with Samantha Corrie taking it and sending it deep into the box, but out of the reach of a sliding Roberts who tried to get her left foot on it before it went out of play. The Lobos had another free kick in the 57th-minute mark with Devey taking the kick and the Aggie goalkeeper punching it out of play after diving to her right, setting up a corner kick, which was thwarted by a foul call that turned the possession over.
With a little less than 20 minutes left, DeGagne’s shot went wide left and was the last shot attempt by UNM in the match.
The shot attempts for both teams were harder to come by in the final 45 as NMSU outshot UNM 3-2, with NMSU’s keeper making the only save of the second half and ultimately the only save of the match. For the Lobos, Callie Droitsch made her first career start in net.
UNM outshot NMSU 8-6 in the match behind three from DeGagne and two from Brown with the Aggies holding the 3-2 edge in shots on goal.
Up next: UNM begins a five-match homestand on Thursday against UC Riverside with a 7:30 p.m. MT start time.