ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos face their first true road test of the season and do so against a ranked opponent in No. 24 Colorado on Thursday night.
Thursday’s match will start at 7 p.m. MT and stream on ESPN+.
UNM enters the contest 2-1-0 following a 3-2 win over Cal State Northridge Sunday, while the Buffaloes are 3-1-1 with a 3-2 loss to No. 3 Michigan State on Sunday.
Historically, UNM is 0-3-1 against CU, 0-1-0 on the road. The two teams last faced each other in 2023, with the last meeting in Boulder in 2015.
START FAST
UNM scored three goals in the first 28 minutes against CSUN, with the first goal coming at 7:24. The Lobos were awarded a penalty kick after the CSUN keeper tackled Nicole Anderson in the box and a Lobo challenge that went to video review, with Anderson going high middle for the goal.
UNM added a goal at 16:16 after Anderson’s initial shot hit the lower left post, with Alysa Whelchel getting the ball, following up with a shot and hitting the crossbar, but Celina Frenz was there to put it in the net on the header to the top right. For Frenz, it was her first goal as a Lobo.
Anderson made it a brace in the 28th minute on a pass from Whelchel, going low left.
UNM led in shots at 9-6, 5-1 in shots on goal in the first half.
GOOD THINGS COME IN THREE
Alysa Whelchel leads the team with three assists and Nicole Anderson leads the team with three goals.
For Whelchel, her three assists tie her season bests in both 2024 and 2025.
For Anderson, she scored the third brace of her career and fourth multiple-goal match of her career against CSUN.
SISTER, SISTER
Including UNM, there are 55 teams in NCAA Division I that have sisters on the roster.
Like the Lobos with Nicole and Allie Anderson, of the 55 teams, 32 teams feature twins.
GO THE DISTANCE
In the first three matches, Morgan Juran has played the full 270 minutes, along with goalkeeper Alyson Campbell.
Last season, Juran played 90 minutes in 14 of the 19 matches, and in her three years at UNM, has played the full 90 in 22 matches. Counting her freshman season at Elon, she’s played 90 minutes 30 times throughout her collegiate career.
Kennedy Brown played 90 minutes 16 times last season and in a total of 32 matches in her time as a Lobo. Brown has also started every match the last three years and the last 54 matches. She played the full 90 minutes in the first two matches and 80 against CSUN.
Fiona Jenkins played 90 minutes in eight matches last season and 30 times in her four years as a Lobo. Like Brown, she played the full 90 matches in the first two matches and went 86 minutes against CSUN.
COLORADO CONNECTION
UNM travels to Colorado and Northern Colorado top open September and for five
Lobos, that means going home.
Gabby Beaudry (Castle Pines), Alyson Campbell (Boulder), Celina Frenz (Littleton), Fiona Jenkins (Fort Collins) and Morgan Juran (Littleton) are all from Colorado. Campbell attended Fairview High School in Boulder.
In addition, Angelina Moschetti started her collegiate career at Colorado, playing at CU for two seasons and appeared in 33 matches.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Colorado is 3-1-1 following wins over Colorado State (2-1), Army (6-0) and Cal State Fullerton (3-2), a draw with Western Michigan (0-0) and a loss to Michigan State (3-2). The Buffaloes are 3-0 at home.
CU is outscoring its opponents 13-6 with seven goals coming in the first half. Of the six goals allowed, four were in the first half. In addition, the Buffaloes are outshooting opponents 89-45, 48-28 in the first half and 41-17 in the second half.
Reagan Kotschau leads the team with four goals with three players with multiple goals. Hope Leyba and Emma Thielbahr are tied for the lead in assists with two apiece.
In net, three goalies have split time with Jamie Campbell and Brooke Goerish appearing in all five matches and Madeline Mueller appearing in one. Campbell has started four of the matches, allowing four goals and making eight saves, while Goerish has started one match, allowed two goals and made seven saves.
The starting lineup has been consistent with nine Buffaloes starting all five matches.
Colorado was picked second in the Big 12 Preseason Poll behind 187 points with one first-place vote after making the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2025.