ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— An Alysa Whelchel goal in the 59th minute cut the deficit against Boise State in half on Sunday afternoon, with the Lobos having a couple of chances late for the equalizer, but the Lobos fell 2-1.
Boise State scored twice in the first half, opening the scoring in the 22nd minute and adding a second goal in the 39th minute for the 2-0 lead at the break. The Broncos outshot the Lobos 9-4 in the first half, 6-1 in shots on goal, with the best opportunity for the Lobos by Kennedy Brown in the 22nd minute that was saved by the Bronco goalkeeper.
The Lobos applied pressure on the Broncos in the second half, with Brown taking a shot in the 53rd minute that sailed high. However, the Lobos got on the board at the 58:27 mark, with Savanah Sanchez finding Whelchel near the left corner of the penalty box, with Whelchel breaking towards the center of the box, cutting and shooting the ball bottom right for her fifth goal of the season.
Mercedes Morris had a chance for the Lobos to equalize in the 63rd minute, finding open space at the top of the box, meeting the ball sent in by Nicole Anderson, and sending it just high of the right corner. Anderson had a chance minutes later at the 64:43 point of the contest, chipping it high of the goal as well.
A header by Sanchez went high in the 74th minute, and a shot by Fiona Jenkins from distance was placed in the top right corner and saved by a leaping Boise State goalkeeper in the 79th minute. Alyson Campbell made a play on a BSU breakaway in the 86th minute to keep it a one-goal match, but the Lobos were unable to create any more chances as the time winded down.
UNM outshot BSU 8-5 in the second half and 3-2 in shots on goal, with Campbell making six saves.
The Lobos 7-3-5 (3-1-3 MW) host Wyoming on Thursday, Oct. 23 in their final home match of the season at 7 p.m. With three matches remaining, UNM is currently tied for third with Utah State in the Mountain West standings with 12 points.