New Mexico Natives Lead Lobos Past Aggies
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— A pair of New Mexico natives contributed a pair of goals and assists, while another New Mexico native kept the Aggies off the board in New Mexico’s commanding 4-0 victory over New Mexico State on Sunday.
Albuquerque native Savanah Sanchez paced the Lobos with two goals, while fellow Albuquerque native Mercedes Morris was credited with a match-high two assists for her first points of the season. Sanchez was one of three Lobos to score on Sunday, with Morris one of three Lobos aiding on the four goals. In net, Santa Fe native Jasmin Gonzalez-Rutt recorded a season-high seven saves to record her third win.
Sanchez opened the scoring 20:52 in off of an assist from Allie Anderson and added her second goal of the match at 34:09 off of an assist from Fiona Jenkins on a corner kick. The momentum continued with a Lobo goal 30 seconds later after senior Morris found fellow senior Alejandra Puerto, who slid it past the NMSU keeper for the 3-0 Lobo lead, which held at the half. Morris added her second assist of the match on a goal by Alysa Whelchel at the 54:26 mark for the final goal of the match.
The final score tied the largest margin of victory over the Aggies in the series, last done on Sept. 25, 2011, which was also a 4-0 win. In addition, the win improves the Lobos to 4-0-2, the best start for UNM since 2010, when the Lobos also went 4-0-2.
Jenkins came inches from putting the Lobos on the board in the 10th minute on a shot that trickled wide right of the post, but it was a corner kick in the 21st minute that set up the opening goal. While the initial entry into the box got sent away by NMSU, the ball was kept in by Gabby Beaudry, who kicked it to an open Anderson. Anderson floated it into the box with Sanchez breaking free and able to put her right foot on it, redirecting it to the bottom right and into the back of the net for her second goal of the season and the first assist of the season for Anderson.
Sanchez struck again in the 35th minute, which like the opening goal was set up by a corner kick. Jenkins sent the ball into the box, with the Lobo redshirt freshman using her head to direct the ball to the top left of the net and past the leaping Aggie goalie.
For Jenkins, it was her seventh assist of the season, placing her tied for sixth all-time for assists in a single season in program history, as well as the fourth consecutive match with an assist.
It didn’t take long for the Lobos to add to their lead after play resumed with the Lobos scoring 30 seconds later after Morris dribbled up the near touchline, finding Puerto ahead who had a step on her defender. Puerto met the ball, and with the Aggie goalkeeper rushing at her outside of the 18-yard box, shot the ball towards the bottom right and into the goal for her fourth goal of the season.
The Lobo defense withstood a barrage of shot attempts by the Aggies in the 40th minute, resulting in a save by Gonzalez-Rutt and a team save, with Gonzalez-Rutt making two more saves in the 42nd minute and the 43rd minute to keep the Lobos in front 3-0 at the half.
Gonzalez-Rutt made five saves in the first 45 minutes with the team credited with a save as the Aggies outshot the Lobos 11-7 and 6-3 in shots on goal in the first half.
UNM added a final goal on the head of Whelchel as the Lobos found space on the far side of the field, with Morris sailing the ball into the back post. With both Whelchel and Sanchez in the area, Whelchel put her head on it to the top left of the goal for her third goal of the season and the second assist of the match and of the season for Morris.
The Lobos withstood four more shots from the Aggies in the second half, forcing two more saves for Gonzalez-Rutt to give her a season-high seven saves. Alyson Campbell played the final 13:35 in net for the combined shutout, the third consecutive shutout for the Lobo defense and the fourth of the season.
Through the first six matches, the Lobos are outscoring opponents 18-4, 98-65 in shots and 49-23 in shots on goal. Of the 14 goals, 12 have been scored in the first half.
UNM (4-0-2) returns to the road to close out the non-conference schedule at UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 11 and at Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 14.