Lobos Pick Up Pivotal Point in Draw at Wyoming Sunday
LARAMIE, WYO.— With one match remaining on the conference schedule, the Lobos picked up a pivotal point against Wyoming on Sunday in a 0-0 draw, keeping New Mexico a point ahead of the Cowgirls and in the sixth spot in the standings.
UNM had the advantage in shots (13-10) while the shots on goal were even at six, with Callie Droitsch making four saves for her seventh shutout of the season and Taryn Robles making two crucial plays to keep the ball out of the net as the last line of defense.
Wyoming put the pressure on early with a corner kick in the first minute that amounted to an initial clear out of the box by the Lobo defense and later a Lobo goal kick. UW’s first shot on goal came in the first two minutes with the shot being brought in by Droitsch.
Nicole Anderson had the first good chance for the Lobos in the sixth minute as Presley Devey dribbled in the middle of the box and after her shot was blocked, the ball found Anderson, who’s shot trickled just wide right of the goal. A header from Sophia Roberts in the eighth minute was on a trajectory towards the right corner of the goal before a Cowgirl defender kicked it out before it crossed the line and a second shot by Roberts seconds later was blocked. Roberts finished with a team-high four shots and two shots on goal.
UNM had a free kick just outside the edge of the box, taken by Fiona Jenkins in the 14th minute, with Ashley Moody taking a shot on goal that was saved and in the 16th minute, it was Roberts again who tried to break the tie, with the Cowgirl keeper laying out to her right to make the save. Morgan Juran started a run in the 23rd minute, finding Anderson, who connected with Kennedy Brown at the top of the box, with Brown taking another shot on goal that was brought in by UW’s keeper.
Robles kept the match scoreless in the 36th minute after a Cowgirl had a clear shot just inside the right side of the box, sending it on frame and past a diving Droitsch, with Robles there to keep the ball out of the net before it could cross the goal line.
The Lobos were able to possess the ball in the Wyoming third for much of the first half, taking a total of 10 shots with four on goal compared to four shots for Wyoming and two on goal.
Anderson (54th) and Natalie DeGagne (60th minute) each created opportunities to break the tie after stealing the ball around midfield and finding space deep in Cowgirl territory, but their shots were stopped by the Cowgirl keeper.
UW had had two chances late in the match, the first coming in the 80th minute, with Droitsch getting a hand on the shot to push the ball over the net and out of play, which the corner kick turned into a Lobo goal kick. Robles provided her second big play of the match at 87:52, as a Cowgirl shot was on path towards the bottom left corner of the goal with a Cowgirl unmarked running towards the goal but Robles slid in to kick the ball out of play.
A handball on Wyoming at 89:40 provided one more chance, but the Lobos couldn’t find a late goal in the final seconds for the 0-0 final.
UNM enters the final MW match 7-5-5, 3-4-3 in the MW and closes with San Diego State at home on Thursday. Following Sunday’s matches, the Lobos hold the sixth spot at 12 points, one point ahead of Wyoming, Colorado College and Nevada.