ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos close out their 2025 home schedule on Thursday against Wyoming with three matches remaining in the Mountain West schedule. The 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.
UNM enters the match 7-3-5, 3-1-3 in the MW and sits tied with Utah State for third in the standings with 12 points. Wyoming is 7-4-5, 2-2-3 in the MW and has nine points, currently in a three-way tie for eighth with Colorado College and San Diego State.
Prior to Thursday’s match, the Lobos will recognize two seniors in Mercedes Morris and Alejandra Puerto, with Morris appearing in 63 matches with 18 starts in her four years at UNM, scoring two goals with seven assists. In Puerto’s two years as a Lobo, she’s appeared in 25 matches with one start and has scored seven goals this season.
Historically, UNM is 20-9-8 all-time against Wyoming, 9-5-3 at home and has outscored UW 55 to 37 in the series. The last three meeting with the Cowgirls have ended in a tie, with the Lobos winning the five matches prior. UNM is 6-1-3 in the last 10 matches against UW.
HOME IS WHERE THE GOALS ARE
In the seven home matches, UNM is outscoring opponents 23-8 and outshooting opponents 113-87 (16.1-12.4 average) with a 57-39 advantage in shots on goal.
Alejandra Puerto, Alysa Whelchel and Nicole Anderson have scored five goals and Savanah Sanchez has scored three goals. Six Lobos have scored multiple goals at home (Kennedy Brown, Gabby Beaudry).
Of the 23 goals, 13 have been scored in the first half, outscoring opponents 13-5 in the first 45 minutes and 10-3 in the second half.
Additionally, the Lobos are outshooting opponents 52-45 in the first half and 61-42 in the second half.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Heading into their 16th match of the season, the Lobos have surpassed their production from last season.
UNM surpassed the 2024 goal total in the win against Grand Canyon on Oct. 9.
The Lobos have scored 30 goals to date with 26 assists, with the Lobos scoring 23 goals with 17 assists last season. The Lobos are averaging 5.7 points per match with UNM averaging 3.5 last season.
In addition, the Lobos have taken more shots this season, averaging 15.6 per match compared to 14.4 last season and 6.7 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 (5), 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 (5) and point total (12) from last season.
WHERE THEY STAND
With three matches left to play, the Lobos are tied for third in the Mountain West standings with Utah State at 12 points.
Boise State leads with 20 points and Air Force sits second with 13 points. Colorado State and Fresno State are below the Lobos with 11 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 55th in scoring offense (2.0), tied for 62nd in goal differential (14) and tied for 69th in assists per match (1.7). Additionally, the Lobos are 60th in points per match (5.7), 60th in shots per match (15.3) and 79th in shots on goal per match (6.7).
On an individual level, Nicole Anderson is 20th in shots per match (3.9), 76th in goals per match (.50) and 58th in shots on goal per match (1.6), while Anderson and Alejandra Puerto are tied for 90th in total goals (7). Fiona Jenkins is 32nd in total assists (7) and Alyson Campbell is 40th in save percentage (.839) and 57th in saves per match (4.7).
UNM is first in the MW in points (86), goals (30), goals per match (2.0), assists (26), and goal differential (14), as well as second in shots per match (15.3) and third in shots (230) and shutouts (6).
Anderson and Puerto are tied for second in the MW in goals and with Anderson second and Puerto tied for third in goals per match. Anderson is tied for third in points (16) with Puerto tied for sixth (14). Mercedes Morris is tied for fifth in assists (4) with Celina Frenz and Allie Anderson tied for ninth in assists (3).
DEFENDERS GO THE DISTANCE
The Lobo defense has been a display of stamina, with six defenders playing the full 90 minutes multiple times this season.
Morgan Juran and Ashley Moody have played 90 minutes in 11 matches (including the last eight for Moody), Macie Harris in five, Allie Anderson and Fiona Jenkins in seven matches, and Kennedy Brown has played 90 in 13 matches this season.
Juran (1255) and Brown (1320) have played in 92% of the minutes, with Brown playing in over 97% of the minutes.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Wyoming is 2-2-3 in conference with wins over Nevada (3-0) and Colorado College (1-0), losses to Air Force (1-0) and Utah State (3-0) and ties with UNLV (1-1), Grand Canyon (1-1) and Boise State (0-0).
The Cowgirls have scored 16 goals this season, outscoring opponents 16-12 with 15.7 shots per match and a 97-62 advantage in shots on goal. Of their 16 goals, 11 have been scored in the second half with 127 shots coming in the first half and 124 coming in the second half.
Alyssa Glover leads the team and the conference with 10 goals, and also has three assists to tie for the team lead for 23 points. The next closest player on the team has three goals with five total goal scorers. Haley Bartel has started all 16 matches in net, allowing 12 goals and making 50 saves.
Against MW opponents, UW has scored six goals and allowed six goals, but is outshooting opponents 48-29 in shots on goal. Glover has four goals and an assist to lead the Cowgirls with nine points. Four of the six goals by UW have come in the second half.
Following Thursday’s match, the Lobos close the Mountain West schedule on the road at UNLV (Oct. 26) and at San Diego State (Oct. 30).