ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos head into their final stretch of home matches with a three-match homestand, starting with Utah State on Thursday night.
Thursday’s match is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., and for those unable to attend, will be streamed on the Mountain West Network with live stats available. Admission for the match is free.
UNM enters the match 7-2-4 on the season, 3-0-2 in the Mountain West, while USU is 5-5-4 on the season, 2-1-2 in the conference.
Historically, UNM is 8-4-3 against the Aggies, 4-2-1 at home. The Lobos have lost the last two meetings and are 2-1-2 in the last five meetings. UNM holds the advantage in the series, scoring 18 goals to 11 goals allowed.
UNM GOES 2-0 ON THE WEEK
UNM went 2-0 with wins over Nevada and Grand Canyon, outscoring its opponents 7-2. Of the seven goals, five were scored in the first half.
The Lobos outshout their opponents 31-26 with an 18-16 advantage in shots on goal.
Nicole Anderson led the Lobos with three goals and an assist for seven points, with Mercedes Morris leading with two assists and finished the week with one goal and two assists for four points.
In net, Alyson Campbell earned both wins, making 13 saves on the week with a season-best eight saves against Nevada.
The Lobos defeated Grand Canyon on Thursday night, scoring three goals in the the first half and adding a goal in the second half for the 4-1 victory.
UNM had four different goal scorers with three players finishing with three points in Alysa Whelchel, Mercedes Morris and Nicole Anderson. Morris assisted in Kennedy Brown’s opening goal, Anderson assisted on Whelchel’s goal and Whelchel assisted on Morris’ goal. It was a career high in points for Morris, while tying Whelchel’s career high in points, which she did earlier this season against Colorado School of Mines.
Morgan Juran assisted on Anderson’s goal for her first assist of the season.
It was the second goal of the season for Brown, the fourth for Whelchel, the fifth for Anderson and the first for Morris.
UNM outshot GCU 19-15 and 13-7 in shots on goal with Alyson Campbell making five saves and the team credited with a save.
At Nevada, the Lobos responded with three unanswered goals for the 3-1 victory. Anderson led the Lobos with two goals, scoring at the 20:33 mark and again 37 seconds later to give UNM the 2-1 lead at the break, with Claire Roybal scoring her first collegiate goal with 71:59 on the clock for the final score.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Heading into their 14th match of the season, the Lobos have surpassed their production from last season.
The Lobos have scored 29 goals to date with 25 assists, with the Lobos scoring 23 goals with 17 assists last season. The Lobos are averaging 6.4 points per match with UNM averaging 3.5 last season.
In addition, the Lobos have taken more shots this season, averaging 15.9 per match compared to 14.4 last season and 7.3 shots on goal per match compared to 6.1 last season.
UNM has had eight different goal scorers this season, six with multiple goals with Alysa Whelchel (4), Nicole Anderson (7) and Alejandra Puerto (7) surpassing their goal production last season.
Anderson has doubled her point production from a season ago with seven goals and two assists (16 points), Allie Anderson recorded her first collegiate assists this season (3), Kennedy Brown scored her first collegiate goals this season (2), Mercedes Morris has a career-best six points this season behind a goal and a career-best four assists, Puerto is having her best season as a Lobo with 14 points (7 goals) and Whelchel has surpassed her goal (4) and point total (10) from last season.
WHERE THEY STAND
With five matches left to play, the Lobos are second in the Mountain West standings with 11 points.
Boise State leads with 14 points and San Diego State and Grand Canyon are below the Lobos with 9 points. Utah State, Colorado State and Wyoming are all tied with 8 points.
WHERE THEY STAND: PART 2
As a team and individually, the Lobos rank amongst the best in the Mountain West and the NCAA in several statistical categories.
To date, UNM is: tied for 28th in scoring offense (2.2), tied for 46th in goal differential (15) and tied for 56th in assists per match (1.9). Additionally, the Lobos are 33rd in points per match (6.4), 48th in shots per match (15.9) and 46th in shots on goal per match (7.3).
On an individual level, Nicole Anderson is 16th in shots per match (4.1), 57th in goals per match (.6) and 34th in shots on goal per match (1.8), while Anderson and Alejandra Puerto are tied for 57th in total goals (7). Fiona Jenkins is 23rd in total assists (7) and Alyson Campbell is 42nd in save percentage (.837).
UNM is first in the MW in points (83), goals (29), goals per match (2.23), shots per match (15.9), assists (25), and goal differential (15), as well as third in shots (207).
Anderson and Puerto are tied for second in the MW in goals and with Anderson second and Puerto third in goals per match. Alysa Whelchel is tied for ninth in goals (4). Anderson is third in points (16) with Puerto tied for fourth (14). Mercedes Morris is tied for fifth in assists (4) with Celina Frenz and Allie Anderson tied for seventh in assists (3).
HOME IS WHERE THE GOALS ARE
In the five home matches, UNM is outscoring opponents 22-6 and outshooting opponents 90-58 (18-11.6 average) with a 51-26 advantage in shots on goal.
Alejandra Puerto and Nicole Anderson have scored five goals, Alysa Whelchel has scored four goals and Savanah Sanchez has scored three goals.
Of the 22 goals, 13 have been scored in the first half, outscoring opponents 13-3 in the first 45 minutes and 9-3 in the second half.
Additionally, the Lobos are outshooting opponents 47-29 in the second half and 43-29 in the first half.
DEFENDERS GO THE DISTANCE
The Lobo defense has been a display of stamina, with five defenders playing the full 90 minutes multiple times this season.
Morgan Juran has played 90’ in 10 matches, Ashley Moody in nine matches, Allie Anderson in seven, Fiona Jenkins in five matches, and Kennedy Brown has played 90’ in 11 matches this season.
Juran (1115) and Brown (1140) have played in 95% of the minutes, with Brown playing in over 97% of the minutes.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
The Aggies are 2-1-2 in the Mountain West with wins over Fresno State (7-1) and Wyoming (3-0), ties with Colorado College (0-0) and Colorado State (1-1) and a loss to Air Force (2-1). USU is 1-5-1 on the road.
USU has scored 20 goals this season with Tess Werts leading with four goals and 13 points. The Aggies have had 10 different goal scorers, with seven scoring multiple goals. Werts and Kaylie Chambers lead with five assists.
Of their 20 goals, 13 have been scored in the second half, with USU outshooting opponents 191-105, 93-44 in the first half and 98-61 in the second half, and an 83-41 advantage in shots on goal.
Taylor Rath has started all 14 matches in net, allowing 13 goals with 27 saves.
Following Thursday’s match, the Lobos host Boise State on Sunday and Wyoming on Oct. 23 for their final home matches of the season.