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August 26, 2018
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: GREAT START TO SEASON … BIG ONE THIS MONDAY NIGHT VS #24 WASHINGTON 7 P.M. AT HOME
Lobo Faithful:
Quality start to the season Friday night vs #22 ranked Seattle University. The boys represented the 3000+ Lobo Faithful in attendance on a beautiful New Mexico summer evening. 4-2 win over a nationally ranked opponent. Our team will continue to grow as the season progresses. Lots of young faces and great leadership from our upperclassmen. Can’t say enough about the groups focus. They are dealing with more than they ever imagined. Big match tomorrow night vs #24 ranked University of Washington Huskies. Hope everyone can join us for another exciting match vs a top opponent.

NEW MEXICO LOBOS VS WASHINGTON HUSKIES
MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 7:00 PM
LOBO SOCCER STADIUM

Thanks for all your support. GO LOBOS!
FISH

March 27, 2018
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: UPCOMING SPRING MATCHES … TWO MORE EXCITING RECRUITS … LOBOS IN THE PROS
Lobo Faithful:
The boys are putting in the work and are ready for the next 4 weeks! We opened our spring schedule with a tough road match March 10th vs Phoenix Rising, a USL Professional team looking to join MLS. Player salary budget one million plus! Put ourselves in a tough situation: hadn’t played in 4 months, veteran professional opponent with 8 games under their belts…tough loss. Liked a great deal of what I saw from our team.  1-1 at half, but we let the game slip away the final 45 minutes, giving up 3 goals which we should have done a better job with. We created several good chances, but didn’t find the net. The pace and demands of a high level match are very different than training sessions! Lots of positives and we won’t face a team of this level till next spring! 8 days of spring break followed the match and we are 10 days back into training.

Want to make sure everyone knows WE PLAY AT HOME the next three Saturdays! Saturday, March 31st Lobos vs Denver University 11:00 am Robertson Field and Saturday, April 7th Lobos vs Air Force 11:00 am Robertson Field. Admission is free for both matches. Robertson Field is our practice facility just south of the soccer stadium. Bring your chairs and sit close to the action! Our final home match will be played March 14th vs our Alumni on Robertson at 11:00 am.
SPRING SCHEDULE

Two more dynamic, exciting players joining our team this fall. Carlton McKenzie and Maliek Howell bring special qualities to our group. Carlton is coming off a National Championship with Tyler Junior College and played at the highest youth levels in his native England. Maliek is from Kingston, Jamaica and has captained Jamaica College to numerous championships and has represented Jamaica on the U-17 and U-20 National Teams. Mature, experienced players who will make an immediate impact.
WEBSITE RELEASE 

Former Lobo Ben McKendry has just signed a professional contract in Finland with TPS Turku of Finlands top League after a three year MLS stint. Oniel Fisher is again away with the Jamaican National Team for International Friendlies. Many more former Lobos currently playing in the professional ranks and doing very well. I will elaborate in my next blog.

See you all this Saturday at 11:00 am for our match vs Denver University. GO LOBOS!
FISH

February 28, 2018
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: SPRING SCHEDULE….SAM GLEADLE SIGNS PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT
Lobo Faithful:
Week 7 of winter training underway and the boys are itching to put on their Lobo jerseys and GET AFTER IT! We kick off our spring schedule with a BANG…NO HIDING! March 10th we play our first match vs professional USL Club Phoenix Rising in Scottsdale, Arizona (2:00 kickoff at Phoenix Rising FC Soccer Complex). Great measuring stick for the boys and exciting way to kick off our spring slate. We follow up with home matches vs Denver (March 31), Air Force (April 7), our Alumni (April 14) and finish up on the West Coast with matches vs Cal Irvine (April 21) and San Diego State (April 22). Lobo Soccer Spring Schedule Release

Lobo Sam Gleadle signed his first professional contract with Reno 1868 FC last week. Sam follows in the footsteps of Lobo Chris Wehan, who was the USL Rookie of the Year last year for Reno 1868 FC and now is a member of the MLS San Jose Earthquakes. Sam is the fourth Lobo from our 2017 squad to ink a professional playing contract. Well-deserved and excited for Sam!  Sam Gleadle Release

See you at our spring matches and ready to get ROLLING! All spring matches will be played on Robertson Field (south of stadium). Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS!
FISH

February 13, 2018
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: 2018 RECRUITING CLASS
Lobo Faithful:
Really excited about our 2018 RECRUITING CLASS! Before I go into detail, I am the guest host of “Inside Lobo Athletics”, the UNM Coaches Radio Show this evening. Coach Kelly Altman and players Ford Parker and Simon Spangenberg will be our guests. If you are in town, we will broadcast live from Starr Brothers Brewery on San Antonio Drive in Albuquerque from 7-8:00 pm this evening. If you want to listen, here is the link to the live broadcast: Live radio broadcast link I’ve been told I have the perfect face for radio!

We have a tremendous 12-man recruiting class joining us for the 2018 season. 5 New Mexicans highlight the class and they will be joined by 3 players with US Youth National Team experience, 2 players from the Real Colorado USSF Development Academy, the son of a native New Mexican lost in Portland and a regional neighbor from El Paso. Link to release on the incoming class

These young men will be tremendous representatives of our State, City, University and Athletic Program. They are leaders, hard workers, great students and all have a wonderful sense of community pride. Exciting times ahead! Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS!
FISH

February 1, 2018
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, MLS NEWS, NEW PLAYERS … EXCITEMENT AHEAD!
Lobo Faithful:
Excited about 2018! We are three weeks into winter training….. love this group! Wanted to share some exciting news with all of you:

Fall semester 2017 was the 13th semester in a row our team grade point average was 3.2 or above. We finished the semester with a team gpa of 3.34 with two Academic All-Americans.

Freshman and Albuquerque native, Alex Vedamanikam, has signed a professional contract in Germany with FC Eintracht Braunschweig of the 2nd Bundesliga (playing for promotion into the Bundesliga and Bayern Munich). Alex’s goal has always been to be a professional player and the opportunity came sooner than expected. Alex is an excellent student, wonderful teammate and will continue with his studies in Germany. I am excited for Alex, but wish we had him for another couple of years. Full Release 

Fortunately, we have 2 dynamic attacking players joining our program this semester (both started classes January 15th). Colin Brezniak and Matt Puig join the Lobos with three years of eligibility remaining. Matt scored 8 goals his freshman year at Tulsa and Colin scored 3 his freshman year at Pitt. They have quickly meshed with our team and will greatly impact our attack! Full Release

Jason Beaulieu, Aaron Hererra and Chris Wehan are doing well in their first MLS preseason camps. Niko Hansen is ready to take on a more impactful role with the MLS Columbus Crew and Oniel Fisher continues to excel with the MLS Seattle Sounders. Oniel just returned from international duty for Jamaica, where he started at right back for the Reggae Boyz vs South Korea in a 2-2 match played on January 30th in Antalya, Turkey.

National Signing Day is Wednesday, February 7th. We will announce our 2018 incoming class on our website and social media mid-day on the 7th. I will follow-up with detailed information soon after the official announcement. Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS!
FISH

December 15, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: HAPPY HOLIDAYS, UNM GRADUATES, ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS AND MLS PROFESSIONAL PLAYING CONTRACTS
Lobo Faithful:
Want to wish everyone HAPPY HOLIDAYS and thanks for your incredible support this year and every year. Final exams are finishing up this week and the boys are ready to head home for a break. Seniors Jason Beaulieu, Sam Gleadle, Lucas Seligman and Luke Lawrence are all graduating this week with excellent grades, highly marketable degrees and incredible personalities. All four will be extremely successful men and are well prepared for the REAL WORLD!

After much reflection, what felt like a disappointing season, has proven to be full of tremendous achievement. Jason Beaulieu and Simon Spangenberg were both named Academic All-Americans: http://www.golobos.com/news/2017/12/7/mens-soccer-beaulieu-and-spangenberg-academic-all-americans.aspx  Lobo Men’s Soccer has produced the most CoSIDA Academic All-Americans of any soccer program (all divisions) in the country. Jason and Simon are the 21st and 22nd recipients of this incredible honor from our program (I have been privileged to coach 21 of these incredible student/athletes).

Aaron Herrera is signing a multi-year professional contract with Real Salt Lake of MLS and will be leaving our program one year early. Aaron will continue with his education and will complete his college degree. Jason Beaulieu is signing a professional contract with the Montreal Impact of MLS. Per Major League Soccer (MLS) rules, both Aaron and Jason are able to bypass the MLS draft and sign as “homegrown players” with the clubs they represented as youth players.

Sam Gleadle and Luke Lawrence are currently trying out for professional teams and are very optimistic about signing contracts. Really proud of all our players and everything they have achieved in the classroom, their commitment to our community and their success on the playing field. Last year’s captain, Chris Wehan, after being named USL Rookie of the Year for Reno 1868 FC, will be moving up to Major League Soccer. Chris has signed a contract with the San Jose Earthquakes. Three more Lobos joining MLS Clubs and playing at the highest level of professional soccer in 2018. Thanks again for everything you do for Lobo Soccer.
Happy Holidays and GO LOBOS!
FISH

November 14, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: SEASON REVIEW … UNDERSTANDING AND EFFECTIVELY COACHING MILLENNIALS
Lobo Faithful,
Still reliving, reviewing and reassessing our season. What a whirlwind….the college soccer season is over in the blink of an eye. Three months ago we began training in the 95 degree heat of August, optimism, three days of bonding and “really getting after it” in Taos, New Mexico….three exhibition victories…..everyone healthy, fit and excited to be a “contributing” member of the squad. 21 matches in 12 weeks. Travel across the country, no hiding, no time to come up for air……fast and furious with little margin for error. The 2017 season ended last Wednesday on a cold and rainy evening in Norfolk, Virginia. Not the season we envisioned, but what a learning experience if we grow in a positive way…..0-1 defeat to UNC Charlotte in the quarterfinals of the Conference-USA Tournament. Late penalty kick awarded against us to seal our fate. We created tremendous chances, but couldn’t find the net. The story of our season…..quality defending with limited success in front of the net as the season progressed. As the head coach, I must review, take responsibility, develop a detailed and sustainable plan and make the required adjustments necessary for success. By definition, we had a winning season…sure doesn’t feel that way.

How do we evaluate success? Should a coach ever say  “luck played a big role”….bad breaks or good breaks? Of the 9 Conference schools, we had the most players named to the Conference-USA Academic Team, three players nominated for Academic All-American (awarded in December), our 4 seniors will all be offered tremendous jobs upon graduation (all 4 graduating this December)….players will be offered professional tryouts and contracts…..was the season a success or a failure… every team has to deal with adversity. We dealt with quite a bit. One of our top defenders left school after 12 games for family issues and we moved an integral member of our attack to central defender, our top senior attacker missed 5 games for injury at a crucial point in the season, mononucleosis claimed another attacking player late….our attack was decimated.  Was I effective as a coach? I’ve been coaching for 25 years and times have changed….that’s what “old people” say….I must be getting old. I haven’t figured out how to effectively coach Millennials. Maybe I’m too Old School: no cell phones at meals, tie your shoes, I don’t want to see your underwear…..wear a belt, no bulky red head phones around your ears when walking around in public, no hats in the building, no backward hats, wear a coat and tie on airplanes, be empathetic, leave a tip for the servers at the breakfast buffet, leave a tip for the people who clean your hotel room, tip the shuttle driver, hold the door for others, please and thank you, look em in the eye when you shake hands….firm handshake, pick up trash and leave your surroundings cleaner than when you arrived, no elbows on the dinner table, too much profanity in rap music…..am I out of date or are standards too low? College is a time of transition. You come in a boy and in theory, you leave a man who is ready to be self-sufficient and productive in a challenging and ever-changing world. The goal of our program is to develop empathetic leaders who will positively affect their communities. Do things the right way and winning will come. Getting back to millennials….I need to adjust my way of doing things without sacrificing the development and education of our players. I need another week or two to put things in perspective and effectively move forward. I will get back to you soon. Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS! To be continued……
FISH

November 6, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT STARTS THIS WEDNESDAY … EVERYTHING STILL AHEAD OF US!
Lobo Faithful,
We played our final regular season match last Friday in Norfolk, Virginia…..we are still in Norfolk preparing for the Conference-USA Tournament which kicks off this Wednesday at 2:00 pm local time (12 pm MT). Fascinating part of the country. Plenty of history all around us, surrounded by water, gigantic ships with big cannons outside our window, cranes, shipping containers, a nautical theme everywhere you go…..not the vistas of New Mexico…..no mountains, no blue skies…..no green chile to be found. We play Charlotte to kick things off, with the winner facing #1 seed Florida International on Friday in the semi-finals. Conference-USA Championship Information

Friday night’s match vs Old Dominion was a tale of two halves. We didn’t open as planned and gave up a very uncharacteristic goal 6 minutes into the match. Routine shot from distance right between our keepers hands. Down 0-1, it took us a while to get over the shock and play our way back into contention. The first half wasn’t our best, but we kept the ball out of our net and went into the half down a goal with optimism. We changed gears the second half and created quality chances, but couldn’t find the back of the net. The story as of late. Disappointing 0-1 loss to the home team. The boys took it pretty hard. We are playing well, creating chances, but aren’t scoring. Need to get going NOW! ODU Re-Cap

On to the second season, the Conference-USA Championship. Training went well today and the team continues to impress. The boys are motivated, upbeat and ready for the challenges ahead. No margin for error, lose and you go home. This isn’t our “first rodeo,” we will be ready. Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS!
FISH

October 30, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: KEEP GRINDING!
Lobo Faithful,
No easy games! Every year we schedule the top opponents we can find….our boys have been tested week in and week out! Love competing against the best and plenty of exciting moments. 0-0 tie vs UNC Charlotte Saturday night in a fast and physical Conference-USA match. Really proud of the boys resilience and love of “the fight”. Sam Gleadle and Tom Smart back in the starting lineup and our best soccer still ahead of us, as Tom and Sam play their way back to form. Charlotte is an excellent team we have lots of respect for. Organized, tough, competitive, proud….hard to beat! Going into the match, we knew there would be limited openings either way. The Lobos and 49ers would each create some half chances and it would take a “special moment” to win the game. We had our moments and came close. Fair result and a missed opportunity against a top opponent. Emotional game for our four seniors: Luke Lawrence, Lucas Seligman, Sam Gleadle and Jason Beaulieu all played their final regular season home match as Lobos. All four have made incredible contributions to our program, our community and to our University. Charlotte Re-Cap

We depart Thursday for Norfolk, Virginia and our final regular season match vs Old Dominion University this Friday night. Another excellent opponent who has been in and out of the National “Top 30” all season. The Conference-USA Tournament starts the following Wednesday in Norfolk (hosted by Old Dominion). Rather than head home Saturday and return Monday, we are staying on the East Coast over the weekend in preparation for the tournament. Excited for the upcoming matches and having our team back to full strength. Thanks for all your support and we’ll keep you posted. GO LOBOS!
FISH

October 26, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: GLASS HALF FULL … SENIOR NIGHT THIS SATURDAY
Lobo Faithful,
“The glass is half full”…..will get to that in a moment…Senior night this Saturday and what an honor it has been to coach our four seniors: Lucas Seligman, Sam Geadle, Luke Lawrence and Jason Beaulieu. Kickoff has been moved to 6:00 pm. Please note! Our posters and schedule cards have a later start time. 6:00 pm kickoff! BIG CONFERENCE-USA MATCH. FINAL REGULAR SEASON HOME GAME.

LOBOS VS UNC CHARLOTTE 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28TH 6:00 PM
LOBO SOCCER COMPLEX

Our seniors are incredible role models, excellent students and all four have played an integral role in the success of our program. Lucas, Sam, Luke and Jason are going to be incredibly successful men and each will make our world a better place. Going to be an electric match. Charlotte has had an up and down season and is hitting stride late. We will be back to full strength with Tom Smart and Sam Gleadle back in the lineup. Excited for this one!

“The glass is half full” comment to open my email. Tough one vs Denver University last night. 0-0 after 110 minutes. Who wants to tie a game….play your hearts out for 110 minutes and not come away with a result. We played in all pink uniforms to bring awareness to breast cancer. Always a reminder to make the most of every day….we can’t predict the future. Our program is about winning and we expect to come out on top every match….especially at home. We created the better of the chances, but didn’t find the net. Great defending, both teams dealt with adversity (questionable red cards to both sides in the first half) and we all will be better prepared for the home stretch. Defense wins championships! Denver’s approach to soccer is very different than the Lobos. They defend in a tight block of 8: two lines of 4, are comfortable defending and score their goals in transition and off set pieces. A very pragmatic approach to the game. They play to never lose. Our approach is a bit different. We try to posses, build through the back, commit numbers going forward….we leave ourselves open at times, but this is our vision of the game. Always play to WIN! Entertaining with an emphasis on development and attacking play. One approach not better than another….just different. Denver Re-Cap

Ready for Saturday night! Thanks for all your support and hope you can join us at 6:00 pm for our final regular season home match. GO LOBOS!
FISH

October 23, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: BUILDING … SAILED INTO THE PERFECT STORM
Lobo Faithful,
Still pulling grass and mud from between my teeth….got a good kick in the chops Saturday. After Wednesday night’s 110 minute overtime draw with UCLA, we hit the road early Friday for Miami and a great test against #11 Florida International. FIU has two of the best attacking players in the country and they lived up to their billing. This is FIU’s year. Mature with 7 seniors and the right blend of players. The first 20 minutes went according to plan: we made mature decisions on the ball, pressed well and created chances. 21st minute, tough call against us. I rarely comment/dispute officials decisions…..this was a bad one! FIU awarded a penalty kick against the run of play. 0-1 and the boys closed out the half playing confidently down a goal. We had our scouting report right. FIU very dangerous in transition and apt to give the ball away in their build up. We had to be compact, press as a team and make very good decisions in attack and protect the ball. We executed for 53 minutes. 8 minutes into the second half, we gave the ball away on our right flank around the half-field line, quick transition behind our centermids and FIU found their weak-side winger behind our fullback for a great transition goal. This was the beginning of the end. Aaron Herrera had to come out with a gash to his thigh and FIU took advantage. Hard to re-live this one. We played well at times and let the game get away from us. Travel and a sudden rash of injuries hasn’t made the load any easier. Tough loss, regardless of the final score, we had our moments and are an excellent team. We must quickly move on. FIU Re-Cap

LOBOS VS DENVER UNIVERSITY WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25TH
7:00 PM LOBO SOCCER COMPLEX

Denver University comes to town this Wednesday night for a 7:00 pm kickoff. Going to be a good one with the team back to full strength. I like our mentality and confidence. Remember that the kickoff for our final home match vs UNC Charlotte on Saturday, October 28th has been moved to 6:00 pm. Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS!
FISH

October 19, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: BUILDING … UCLA VISIT TO ALBUQUERQUE
Lobo Faithful,
Quick turnaround this week. Catching an early morning flight to Miami Friday morning for Saturday night’s Conference-USA match vs undefeated and league leading Florida International University. The boys will be ready! Tough one last night vs UCLA.

UCLA is always a big game on anyone’s schedule. Not too often that you get them to visit Albuquerque. Our coaching staff felt really good about this match and had confidence that we were the favorite playing at home. There was something different in the air when we got together for our morning scout and walk thru. There is a certain mystique to UCLA…the championship stars on their jerseys, former players…a bit of a swagger to them….. I was really happy with our preparation and the confidence displayed by our players. Lobo Soccer is about competing against the best in the country and having the confidence that if we play to our potential, we will WIN! A great feeling to be part of an organization which never takes the underdog role, we develop players and teams to be the favorite!

We struck first and played extremely well. Our boys created the better chances, disrupted the Bruin attack and played a very tactical and disciplined match. We made one mistake too many, giving them a second half free kick just outside our box. Going into the match, we felt confident defensively. Their chances would be off our mistakes: give-a-ways or set pieces. They took their chance to even the score at 1-1 and unfortunately, this was how the game ended. 1-1, in a match we should have come out on top!  Re-Cap

Saturdays night’s game will be another great challenge for the team. Excited to see how we compete against a very dynamic and mature FIU team. We are back at home next Wednesday and Saturday, as the regular season winds down. Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS!
FISH

October 16, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: CHALLENGES GALORE … EXCITING TIMES AHEAD!
Lobo Faithful,
Nice to play at HOME under fresh legs! After three games in 8 days, we finally had a week to recover and train leading into Saturday night’s Conference-USA home match vs University of Alabama Birmingham. The boys were sharp from the get go and itching to play in front of our passionate supporters….we don’t have fans……our supporters are members of our program! It’s an honor and responsibility to represent the Lobo Faithful. We showed quality on the ball, played quickly, with purpose, created chances and defended maturely. Shutout and 2 in the back of the net. 2-0 win over a talented UAB squad. Re-Cap  We can now focus on Wednesday night’s opponent, the UCLA Bruins. I like this match-up. UCLA is stocked with wonderful players who love to get on the ball and attack. A relatively young group who play into our strengths. Going to be ACTION-PACKED!

LOBOS VS UCLA WEDNESDAY NIGHT OCTOBER 18TH
7:00 PM LOBO SOCCER COMPLEX

The team has recovered well and the boys will be fresh, confident and excited for Wednesday night. Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS!
FISH

October 11, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: BUILDING … GROWING … STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE
Lobo Faithful,
Big match this Saturday night at 7:00 pm. 2nd of a 3-match home stand. The University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers making the cross country trip to The Land of Enchantment for a key Conference-USA contest. The boys held court last weekend with a 3-1 result over Conference-USA foe, Florida Atlantic University. Re-Cap

LOBOS VS UAB SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14TH
7:00 PM LOBO SOCCER COMPLEX

Our match vs Florida Atlantic was a tale of two halves. Tremendous opening 45 minutes, disappointing 30 minutes and electrifying final 15 minutes to close the match. Imagine the toll of three consecutive road trips and 3 matches in 8 days played a factor. Our legs looked heavy as the match progressed. Didn’t achieve the 90 minutes of beautiful soccer we trained for, but a very good final result. Excited for our match this Saturday and another opportunity to challenge ourselves!

Alabama Birmingham is one of the top attacking teams in the conference….speed and athleticism head to toe. This match will be an entertaining one! I like where the boys’ heads are and it will be good to play with fresh legs!

Our October 28th match vs UNC Charlotte has been moved to a 6:00 pm start time. One hour earlier than previously scheduled. Please note on your calendar. Thanks for all your support, see you this Saturday night and GO LOBOS!
FISH

October 6, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: HOME SWEET HOME
Lobo Faithful,
Home Sweet Home! 9 of 15 days on the road, three road trips in a row….South Carolina, West Virginia and Los Angeles…..good to be back in the Land of Enchantment. When I last wrote, we had returned from a challenging trip to South Carolina and a 2-2 draw. Tough result after a strong performance.  Really impressed with the team. We have come out on top the past two matches with a 2-1 victory over Marshal University in Huntington, WV and a 3-0 result over Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. No rest for the weary! We returned home early afternoon Thursday and play Conference-USA foe Florida Atlantic University tomorrow night at the Lobo Soccer Complex. 3 matches in 8 days. Boys are ready!

LOBOS VS FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7th
7:00 PM LOBO SOCCER COMPLEX

This team has focus, determination and a love of competition. Can’t say enough about the boys attention to detail and commitment to “controlling the controllable”. This is the time of year when teams get complacent, get sloppy, allow opponents openings. Our group is on top of things! Excited for another great test!

Hope to see everyone tomorrow night and glad to be home for the next two weeks. Three in a row at the Lobo Soccer Complex and tomorrow night is an opportunity to get the homestead off to a great start. Thanks for all your support and see you soon. GO LOBOS!
FISH

September 25, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: TRIP DOWN SOUTH
Lobo Faithful,
Not an easy trip to Columbia, South Carolina. Joining Conference-USA has provided quite the adventure. South Carolina, West Virginia, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky and Alabama in search of great opponents. Prior to this weekend, Conference-USA was the 3rd ranked conference in the country in terms of RPI. Gradually checking off every state in the Continental USA. This was our second trip to the University of South Carolina. When we visited two years ago, lots of construction taking place around their athletic complex and views were obstructed by a dust fueled haze. When we arrived for our walk thru Thursday night, my jaw dropped. What amazing athletic facilities….the “athletic campus” looked like Google or Amazon headquarters. Amateur athletics? Revenues provided by SEC Football defy the imagination. No mountains, no green chile and no crowds like the Lobo Faithful! I sure was happy to return home Saturday night!

Our match vs South Carolina was all too similar to Kentucky….better result, but not the result we desired. 2-2 draw, with the Lobos statistically dominant: 23-14 shot advantage, 7-1 corners…the game was played in the USC half. USC’s chances and goals were all from transition. Our buildup play is excellent, creating chances, but not finding special moments from our attacking players in key moments of matches. 2 goals should be enough to get the result, but both of our goals were from behind to even the score. South Carolina’s goals were off our dispossessions. They were extremely efficient in taking their limited chances. We are playing high quality soccer, we continue to get better and I’m confident the results will come. USC Re-Cap

Another challenging road trip next weekend to Huntington, West Virginia to face Marshall. We are healthy and ready for the challenge. Thanks for all your support and see you back home in two weeks. GO LOBOS!
FISH

September 19, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: NO EASY MATCHES … NO OPENINGS
Lobo Faithful,
Ready for the South Carolina Gamecocks! First Conference-USA road contest this Friday in Columbia, SC…..no hiding for our boys. Coming off a very disappointing Conference opening loss to the #13 ranked Kentucky Wildcats last Saturday night at home. We played some of our best soccer over the past four years for the first 44 and a half minutes…..to make a long story short, we gave Kentucky three openings the entire match. We outshot the Wildcats 15-7, 8 corners to their 2, our GK made one save to their 5……a pretty complete match outside of the final tally, 0-1 Kentucky. We made a grave mistake with 30 seconds remaining in the first half, gifting UK a penalty kick and a 1-0 lead heading into intermission. In spite of our dominance in possession, scoring opportunities and set pieces, we failed to capitalize and lost in a very disappointing fashion. Kentucky defended with numbers and hung on for an important victory. Kentucky Re-Cap

Coming off four straight W’s, this was a tough one to swallow. The team has reacted well and trained hard. Looking forward to getting back on the field Friday.

If you haven’t joined our Golden Goal Club, the exclusive booster club of Lobo Men’s Soccer, it’s not too late. 100% of membership dollars go directly to our program. We need your support! GGC Brochure

Training tomorrow morning and off to South Carolina Thursday. Thanks for all your support. Love this team…exciting matches ahead. GO LOBOS!
FISH

September 14, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: CONFERENCE OPENER THIS WEEKEND … KENTUCKY WILDCATS COMING TO TOWN!
Lobo Faithful,
BIG RESULTS for Lobo Soccer at the Grange and Ashwill Invitational last weekend. Friday night 2-1 over an excellent Cal State Northridge squad and Sunday 2-1 over a very talented Cal Irvine. Both Northridge and Irvine are knocking at the door in terms of national rankings (both won their neutral matches over #7 ranked Denver University). Sure energizing to win your home tournament in front of our incredible supporters! Aaron Herrera named MVP of the tournament, Jason Beaulieu named Defensive MVP, Devin Boyce and Matt Constant named to the All-Tournament team. Ready for the next one! Conference-USA play kicks off this weekend.

LOBOS vs #17 Kentucky Wildcats
Saturday 7:00 pm Lobo Soccer Complex 

Really happy with our teams drive and commitment to achieve EXCELLENCE. We continue to improve and I am very excited about this group. Competition amongst the team is fierce and training sessions aren’t always friendly. Both good and bad. Top players aren’t seeing the field and as a coach, impossible to keep everyone happy. As I told the boys after Sundays match, it’s hard to really enjoy a victory when players you care about aren’t happy. Our challenge is for everyone to find ways to make us better and to embrace this responsibility. Not everyone will see game minutes, but everyone plays a significant role in our success. Important equation I shared with the team:

Performance = Potential – Interference

We are back to full strength for Saturday night and the match is going to be a “barn burner”. Kentucky provides an exciting challenge. Our team is having dinner in the stadium parking lot prior to the Women’s 7:00 game vs Houston this Friday night. We will arrive at 5:30. Music and good company. Please come by and hang out. Thanks for all your support and see you Saturday. GO LOBOS!
FISH

September 7, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: SCORING GOALS … BIG WEEKEND AHEAD!
Lobo Faithful,
Excited to host this weekend’s “Grange and Ashwill Invitational”. Sure miss Pat Grange and Ben Ashwill. Local boys who led the Lobos to many thrilling victories and NCAA Tournament appearances. Three exciting teams making the trip to the Land of Enchantment this weekend. 2016 NCAA Tournament participants Denver University and CSUN and perennial power, UC Irvine. Denver will be the neutral team and both the Pioneers and Lobos will face challenging West Coast opponents. Tournament Schedule

New Mexico Lobos vs Northridge this FRIDAY NIGHT
 September 8th, 7:00 pm UNM Soccer Complex

After a tough opening weekend, the boys have caught fire. 3-0 win at home over #20 ranked UNLV last Friday and a 4-1 road win over Marquette from the Big East Conference Monday night. I really like our mentality and the team’s desire to grow and improve. This is a highly motivated group. CSUN is an exciting attacking team and Friday’s match will be an entertaining one. We play the final contest of the weekend Sunday the 10th at 6:00 p.m. vs Irvine. 

Thanks for all your support, see you soon and GO LOBOS!
FISH

August 31, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: HOME OPENER THIS FRIDAY NIGHT … BRING YOUR ENERGY!
Lobo Faithful,
HOME OPENER this Friday night, September 1st vs UNLV Running Rebels
7:00 pm Lobo Soccer Complex.

Great challenges ahead and really excited for our team. Tough road trip to the Pacific NW last weekend. Two one-goal losses to excellent opponents Washington and Seattle University. 8 new Lobos saw the field over the weekend and the group will continue to grow into a cohesive unit. The UW game Friday night was a fairly even match with the Huskies coming out on top 2-1. I was happy with our effort and fight. We gave away too many openings to a quality opponent and failed to capitalize on our opportunities. Sunday’s match vs Seattle University wasn’t our best showing. Seattle entered the match with a 17 match home win streak. Their veteran squad was very good on the day. We had our chances, but fell 0-1 to a tremendous opponent. Hats off to Seattle U! 0-2 not the anticipated start to the season, but a great opportunity for our young team to learn how to handle disappointment, self-evaluate and grow. We will continue to get better and better!

Excited to get back on the field this Friday night at home vs UNLV. The Rebels are a very good team coming off last years NCAA appearance. They’ve opened the season with a victory over Portland and a tight loss to Oregon State. No hiding for the Lobos. Going to be a great test!

If you haven’t joined the Golden Goal Club, the booster club of Lobo Men’s Soccer, we need your support. 100% of membership dollars go directly to our program. Link to Brochure

See everyone this Friday night 7:00 pm at the UNM Soccer Complex! Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS!
FISH

August 21, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: BUILDING MOMENTUM … READY!
Lobo Faithful,
The 2017 regular season is right around the corner. LOVE THIS TEAM! One of the most cohesive and energized groups I’ve been around. We completed our preseason Saturday night, with a quality 2-0 win over a talented Grand Canyon University team. This was our third win in preseason (3-0-0) and we have continued to develop and mature as a team the past two weeks. Reality kicks in for the boys today….first day of classes! Yesterday was a recovery day, today is an off-day and we begin preparation tomorrow for our season opener vs the University of Washington Friday night in Seattle. Great challenges around the corner. Thanks for all your support and hope to see you at our home opener vs UNLV Friday night, August 1st at 7:00. GO LOBOS!
FISH

July 31, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: GOLD CUP FINAL, PHD’S … NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
Lobo Faithful,
Ready to KICK THINGS OFF! First day of official team training is August 9th, camps are over for the summer, rested and FIRED UP! Lots of exciting things happening around Lobo Soccer:

-Two former Lobo captains, Javier Carrasco and Simon Ejdemyr, received their Doctoral Degrees/PHD’s in May. Javier received his PHD in Education from the University of Texas and Simon received his PHD in Political Science with a minor in Statistics from Stanford. Two incredible leaders who are impacting our WORLD. They are what Lobo Soccer is all about! Making a difference and the pursuit of EXCELLENCE.

-Former Lobo Oniel Fisher started in the Gold Cup Final for Jamaica vs the USA National Team in front of 65,000+. Tough loss for the Reggaeboyz. Oniel back to duty with MLS Seattle Sounders.

-We need your SUPPORT! If you haven’t already joined our Golden Goal Club, we need you as a member. 100% of membership dollars go directly to our program. We need to raise $80,000+ to continue competing on a national level: Golden Goal Club Brochure

Really excited for what lies ahead and enjoying every moment of the present. First exhibition match August 12th at 10:00 am vs Air Force: 2017 Schedule  Can’t thank you enough for all your support. GO LOBOS!
FISH

July 18, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: SEASON RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER AND IMPORTANT UPDATES!
Lobo Faithful,
Summer is flying by and we’re heading into the home stretch….ready to get things Rolling! First week of camp at UNM is underway with over 220 kids and can’t say enough about the campers and our players. The half day and full day sessions of our Summer Lobo Soccer Academy are staffed by our team and it’s a win/win for everyone. The boys are tremendous role models and what a wonderful experience for both the kids and players: importance of attention to detail, how to be impactful, perseverance, discipline, love, understanding, different ways to teach/instruct, teamwork, empathy…everyone is challenged in diverse ways. Probably the best form of birth control too. Wanted to pass on a schedule change, new players, national awards and how to support our program.

Kickoff for our August 12th opening exhibition match vs the Air Force Academy has been moved to 10:00 am at the Lobo Soccer Stadium. Updated 2017 Schedule

Two late additions to our roster: Jacobus McClure, a 2016 graduate of Las Cruces HS in Las Cruces, NM and Wedner Delmonte, a transfer student from Grand Canyon University from Minotrie, Haiti. Jacobus played for Strikers FC in Las Cruces, prior to moving to Portland, Oregon to play for the MLS Portland Timbers Academy last year. A 6’4” Goalkeeper with “cat like quickness”, very technical and a wonderful student and leader. Wedner brings a smile to everyone within 100 yards. A dynamic attacking player who will give nightmares to every defender we face. Mature, insightful and a joy to be around. A more detailed article will be posted on golobos and social media in the upcoming weeks.

Incoming freshman, Nick Taylor, was just named to the NSCAA Winter/Spring High School All-America Team: Web Article

Last and not least, here is the link to our Golden Goal Club Brochure. The Golden Goal Club is the booster club for Lobo Men’s Soccer. 100% of your contribution goes directly to our program. We need your SUPPORT: Golden Goal Club Brochure

Preseason training kicks off August 10th and quickly into our exhibition matches. Really excited about this group and the challenges ahead. The boys will be ready! Thanks for all your support. GO LOBOS!
FISH

June 1, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: 2017 SCHEDULE RELEASED … GREAT ONE!
Lobo Faithful,
Hope your summer is off to a wonderful start. Perfect weather in Albuquerque! Can’t believe it’s already June and camps are right around the corner. The boys are spread out around the world and everyone is in great spirits. Another semester of outstanding grades and really excited for what lies ahead. Aaron Herrera and the USA U-20 National Team won their “Round of 16” match today vs New Zealand and play Venezuela Saturday in the quarterfinals of the U-20 World Cup in South Korea. Aaron started the first three matches and had to sit out today for yellow care accumulation. Former Lobos are enjoying much success in the workforce, graduate school and in the professional soccer ranks……life is good.

Our 2017 schedule was just released and it’s a tremendous one! 8 matches vs 2016 NCAA Tournament teams (6 of these at home). Our goal every year is to play the best competition in the country and prepare our players for postseason play. UCLA, Washington, Kentucky, South Carolina, Marquette…big names….challenging opponents! Here is our website release and link to the schedule

Camps kick off June 26th and the season is right around the corner. I will keep you posted as the summer unfolds. Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS!
FISH

May 10, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: SPRING UPDATE – LOTS HAPPENING!
Lobo Faithful,
Exams finish up this week and on to summer….season around the corner. Lots happening within Lobo Men’s Soccer…..EXCITING TIMES….new coaching staff member, spring season re-cap and tremendous recent incoming players…..here you go!

I’m pleased to announce that Kelly Altman has joined our coaching staff. Kelly is a native New Mexican, attended Albuquerque Academy and played and graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Kelly captained his team to a National Title in 2003 and stayed on to coach upon graduation. As a coach, he helped lead Trinity to the NCAA III National Finals in 2007. His most recent coaching position was at Division I Valparaiso, were Kelly distinguished himself as one of the top young coaches in the game. We are very fortunate to bring Kelly back to the Land of Enchantment! Release on Kelly Altman joining Lobo Staff

Our spring season was everything we could ask for in terms of developing our young players and preparation for the upcoming campaign. Challenging travel, inclement weather, injuries, time changes….we put our players in situations which required them to adjust on the fly, deal with adversity, stay present and perform under duress. Close matches vs motivated and talented opponents. Opening loss in overtime to SMU, great win vs Grand Canyon and two bitter defeats to Air Force and Colorado Mines. Out final match vs Denver was cancelled due to snow in Colorado. I thought we had tremendous moments throughout the spring, interspersed with brief mental lapses and a failure to find the net. With youth, learning moments are key and mistakes lead to growth. Our boys were overloaded, overcame their fear of failure, came together as a team and are much stronger as a result. When at full strength this spring, we were very good!

7 additional players (we previously announced 4 players in February) will be joining us this fall: 2 local freshmen, a GK from Washington and 4 internationals with loads of experience. These players will impact our team immediately.  Recruiting class release

I am really excited for the fall and look forward to competing for another Conference-USA Title and NCAA berth. I will stay in close contact throughout the summer and will pass on our fall schedule when officially released later this month. GREAT TIMES AHEAD. GO LOBOS!
FISH

March 28, 2017
NEW MEXICO SOCCER: FORMER LOBO NETS MATCH WINNER IN PROFESSIONAL DEBUT
Lobo Faithful,
Lots of action in the “Land of Enchantment”! Lobo men’s soccer is two games into an exciting spring season and two former Lobos made their professional debuts.

After a challenging five weeks of winter training, we opened our 5-match spring schedule March 4th vs SMU in Dallas. A tough 2-1 overtime loss, but a great challenge against a veteran team. SMU had two matches under their belts and it took us 45 minutes to find our playing rhythm. Never happy about losing, but our boys showed great promise in our opening match. The following weekend, March 11th, we traveled to Phoenix to play Grand Canyon University. With a game under our belts, a better showing vs a quality opponent. 2-1 overtime victory for the Lobos. Outside of the opening 20 minutes, a very complete performance and a match we should have put away in regulation. We travel to Taos, NM to face Air Force April 15th, Colorado School of Mines at home on the 22nd and we wrap up our spring in Denver April 29th vs Denver University. Really excited about this group and the future.

Niko Hansen and Chris Wehan made their professional debuts this past weekend. Wehan started in the season opener for Reno 1868 FC and Hansen played his first minutes of the season for the MLS Columbus Crew. What a start for Niko! Game winning goal in the 84th minute to defeat the league-leading Portland Timbers. HAVE A LOOK AT THE FINISH AND POST GAME INTERVIEW

Thanks for all your support and I’ll keep you updated as the spring progresses. GO LOBOS!
FISH

February 27, 2017
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER: NIKO HANSEN GAMEWINNER VS MLS SEATTLE SOUNDERS IN FINAL EXHIBITION MATCH
Lobo Faithful:
Greetings from Lobo Soccer. All is well in the Land of Enchantment. Winter training has been incredible and the boys are ready for their first match after 7 weeks of intensive training. Lobos vs SMU at the FC Dallas Complex in Frisco, TX this Saturday night at 7:00 pm. Lobo Aaron Herrera and the USA U-20 National Team face off against Mexico today at 3:00 pm MST in the final round of World Cup qualifying. Wehan, Gurule, Goss and Rochowski are in the thick of things as they compete for final roster spots in their rookie professional seasons. Patrick Khouri just inked his first professional contract in Finland and Niko Hansen is scoring MLS goals in preseason. Hansen with the game winner for the MLS Columbus Crew vs defending MLS Champion Seattle Sounders Saturday night in both teams final exhibition match. The MLS season opens this weekend with Lobos playing for Vancouver, Minnesota, Seattle and Columbus. Here is Lobo All-American and Academic All-American Hansen’s GAME WINNER VS SEATTLE

I’ll keep you posted throughout the spring. Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS!
FISH

February 14, 2017
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER: CLIMATE CHANGE
Lobo Faithful:
Wishing everyone a Happy Valentines Day! Wanted to pass on some recent news which stirs deep emotions in my heart and the hearts of everyone associated with Lobo Soccer. After serving our program and players for the past 9 years, Coach Paul Souders has accepted a new position with the University of Central Florida men’s soccer program. Exciting adventure for Paul and his family as they join Paul’s former collegiate coach, Scott Callabrese, in Orlando. 9 years working together as been an incredible experience. Witnessing Pauls growth as a man, as a coach and as a father of two girls has been humbling. A special man who has impacted many lives. Change is good for everyone and my task is to now find a new coach who will help our program continue to grow. With Paul’s departure, Coach Mike Graczyk is excited to fill a new role within our staff.  I can’t say enough about Mike’s commitment to excellence and his development as a coach and mentor. Just wanted to make sure everyone was aware of this recent change and I will keep you posted once a new coach is hired.

Winter training has been really inspiring! The boys are putting in the WORK! They have found ways to grow as a new team and to collectively push themselves to levels of exertion they would have found unattainable as individuals. Can’t wait for our first spring match vs SMU in Dallas, TX  March 4th!

I will stay in close contact throughout the spring and hope to run into many of you at our spring matchers the next two months in Dallas, Phoenix, Taos, Albuquerque and Denver. GO LOBOS!
FISH

February 1, 2017
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER: LOBOS INK FOUR TO NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT 
Lobo Faithful:
The first Wednesday of February is National Signing Day for Division I Men’s Soccer. Can’t tell you how excited I am about the four players joining our program this fall. In addition to these Lobos (now), we will announce several more talented players over the upcoming months. Nick Barreiro, Bailey Letherman, Nick Taylor and Alex Vedamanikam are incredible young men, excellent students and decorated players. National Signing Day Release I hope you get a good feel for Nick, Bailey, Nick and Alex from the website article. I am excited about this team. The 2017 season is going to be an exciting one.

We are in the midst of the hardest four-week phase of winter training. Can’t say enough about the boys, their dedication and their passion for EXCELLENCE. We kick off our five-match spring schedule on March 4th in Dallas, TX vs SMU at 7:00 pm. Match Day 2 will be played in Phoenix, AZ on March 11th vs Grand Canyon University at 7:00 pm. Match Day 3 will be played in Taos, NM on April 15th vs Air Force Academy at 12:00 pm, Match Day 4 will be played at home April 22nd vs Colorado School of Mines at 12:00 pm and Match Day 5 will be played in Denver, CO on April 29th vs Denver University at 7:00 pm. Thrilled about this schedule and the opportunity our boys get to test themselves against top notch competition.

Thanks for all your support and ready to ROLL….GO LOBOS!
FISH

January 25, 2017 
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER: RE-CAP AND PROGRAM UPDATES … EXCITING NEWS
Lobo Faithful:
Hope 2017 is off to wonderful start for you and your family! Things here are FANTASTIC! Wrapping up our second week of school and team training.  Always exciting to begin preparation for a new season. Our year is very different than most: January-April is our preseason and September-December is the culmination/reward for the previous 8 months of hard work. With the departure of 5 seniors and two underclassmen (will discus later in this email), our returning 18 players take on new roles and responsibilities. In the course of 8 weeks, the team has transformed and a new identity has been created. Real excited about this group! Young, tenacious, dynamic, skillful, unified and athletic. National Signing Day is February 1st and we will announce several additions to our program, with more to follow over the next several months. In the meantime, I want to pass on exciting news regarding our graduating seniors, youth and senior national team news involving Lobo Soccer and players moving on to new challenges. Your support has fueled us and I am really proud of last years accomplishments. Exciting times ahead for Lobo Soccer!

Hansen and Wehan invited to MLS Combine: Niko Hansen and Chris Wehan received invitations to the MLS Combine. They were both part of the initial 53 collegiate seniors predicted as top professional prospects. UNM is one of only 15 programs nationally to have multiple players invited: MLS COMBINE

Niko Hansen drafted #9 overall in MLS Draft. Niko has signed a guaranteed contract with the Columbus Crew of MLS, reported to training camp and departed for two weeks of preseason in Brazil on Monday: #9 MLS DRAFT PICK

Seniors Wehan, Gurule, Goss and Rochowski are all pursuing professional playing careers. After a disappointing MLS draft, with only Niko Hansen being selected, our remaining four seniors (all have graduated from UNM) are currently in and out of professional player combines prior to entering professional training camps in February. I am confident all four will find themselves on opening day rosters in either the MLS, NASL or USL.

Former Lobo Ben McKendry gets first international cap for Canadian Senior National Team vs Bermuda. Really proud and excited for Ben, as he played and started in his first international match for the full Canadian Senior National Team in preparation for International qualifying: McKendry News

Exciting to see former Lobo Oniel Fisher hoist the MLS Championship trophy as a member of the MLS Seattle Sounders. Oniel is also representing Jamaica at the Senior International level.

Aaron Herrera has spent the last 6 weeks in camp with the USA U-20 National Team in preparation for U-20 World Cup qualifiers in Costa Rica this February and March: USA U-20’s

Matthew Constant has been away with the Canadian U-20 National Team in preparation for U-20 World Cup qualifiers in Costa Rica this February and March. Matt has traveled to Toronto for training camp and played international friendlies in Panama vs the Panamanian U-20’s.

Patrick Khouri has decided to forgo his final two years of eligibility to pursue a professional playing career in Finland. We are very sad to see Patrick depart, but he has been given a tremendous opportunity to achieve his dream of playing professionally and leaves New Mexico in good academic standing with everyones support: Khouri

Goalkeeper Andy Rios has transferred to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in pursuit of a starting position in goal. Andy has put in two years of hard work for the Lobos and hasn’t seen the time he desires. He will make an immediate impact at UTRGV’s Division I program.

This should help you catch up on what’s happening with Lobo Soccer and I will email with a re-cap of National Signing Day on February 1st. Up to the minute news is posted daily on our Lobo Soccer Twitter account and Lobo Soccer Facebook account. Thanks for all your support and excited for the future. Our spring season kicks off March 4th in Dallas vs SMU! Signing Day and Spring Schedule in my next Lobo Faithful. GO LOBOS!
FISH

November 23, 2016 
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER: WHAT A SEASON, PROUD OF THE BOYS
Lobo Faithful,
Sure am proud of our team! What an amazing group of young men who overcame tremendous pressure and adversity throughout season to win a Conference USA Championship and make an NCAA Second Round appearance. Special thanks to our five seniors: Josh Goss, Nick Rochowski, Chris Gurule, Chris Wehan and Niko Hansen. Can’t say enough about their outstanding play and inspirational leadership. Tough result Sunday night vs a talented and hungry University of Washington. We opened strong and struck first, but the mental and physical toll of travel and 5 games in 12 days got the better of us. We had to be close to perfect in terms of game management and execution to win this one. No excuses (I think I just gave two), it wasn’t our day and congrats to Washington! I’m still transitioning, so going to make this email a short one. I will get back to you with my thoughts on the season and what lies ahead. Here’s the NCAA Second Round match vs Washington Re-Cap

It was announced yesterday that Niko Hansen was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team I will keep you posted as more players receive individual awards (I expect quite a few). Niko is the 20th Lobo men’s soccer player to be named to the Academic All-America Team since 2002. This is the most of any collegiate soccer program in the country regardless of division. Proud of our players commitment to EXCELLENCE in the classroom.

Two former Lobo soccer players will be battling it out as coaches this weekend in the NCAA “Sweet 16”, as Washington heads to the University of Denver. Jeff Rowland (2005) will be on the sidelines for UW and Levi Rossi (2012) will be manning the touch for Denver. Proud of Jeff and Levi!

Thanks for all your support. Have a great Thanksgiving and GO LOBOS!
FISH

November 18, 2016 
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER: ON TO NCAA SECOND ROUND!
WOW! Can’t say enough about this team. We made it interesting last night….the 2300+ people in the stands who braved the elements, sure got their money’s worth! Lobo’s found a way…special group and so happy and proud of this group! Portland was a very good team with some excellent attacking players….Cut to the chase….0-0, double overtime, penalty kicks. 9 rounds and Ford Parker man of the hour…again. Sorry for the brevity of this email, catching a flight to Seattle in less than two hours. Lobos on to NCAA Second Round in Seattle, WA this Sunday 5:00 Pacific Time: Portland Re-Cap

Man am I beat! We have a charter flight departing Albuquerque at 11:00 am today (NCAA came through BIG). Everything is set for the trip and the main goal is for the team to get their legs back, unwind and then focus on Sunday, Washington is a great team. We played them in August in an exhibition and they are quality. Going to be a tremendous match-up. The are coached by Jamie Clark who was an assistant here for 4 years and assistant coach, Jeff Rowland, was a 2-time All-American for the Lobos. Lots of connections!

NCAA SECOND ROUND SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH 5:00 PM
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
LOBOS VS WASHINGTON HUSKIES

Thanks for all your support and see you soon. GO LOBOS!
FISH

November 13, 2016 
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER: CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS … ON TO NCAA TOURNAMENT!
Lobo Faithful,
Conference-USA Tournament Champions! Can’t tell you how proud I am of this team! 3-0 win over Florida International in todays Final. With the win, the automatic pass into the NCAA Tournament. Man did the boys show grit, toughness, passion, unity, quality and fight this week. Wins over #18 Kentucky, #5 Charlotte and #50 FIU to bring home the trophy. Cant wait for the next one! Tremendous defense set the tone this afternoon and goals from Niko Hansen (2) and Chris Wehan sealed the deal. Complete performance! Todays Conference Final Re-Cap

We fly out of Charleston, WV early tomorrow morning and arrive in Albuquerque at 11:20 am. The NCAA Selection Show starts at 11:00 am, so we will not be hosting a “watch party” tomorrow…..we won’t be watching! If I had to guess, we host the opening round this Thursday night at the Lobo Soccer Complex at 7:00 pm. We will know for sure by tomorrow afternoon. NCAA Tournament Information and bracket can be found Here tomorrow around noon or go to our team website.

Great photos and videos from todays match and post-game antics on our Lobo Soccer Twitter account 

Thanks for all your support and belief. Lets keep it ROLLING….GO LOBOS!
FISH

November 11, 2016
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER: READY FOR TODAY’S 2:30PM (MT) MATCH
Lobo Faithful,
Big one today and the boys are focused, re-charged and ready! 4:30 EST (2:30 in Albuquerque) kickoff for the first semi-final of the Conference-USA Tournament vs #5 Charlotte. We are excited and prepared for todays match. Great day yesterday having a look around town, light training session, recovery and in-depth scouting report. Everyone got to bed early and things kicked off this morning around 9:00 with a light breakfast, 10:30 video and set piece walk through, 1:00 pregame meal and off to the stadium at 2:45. Everything is ahead of us and I’m excited for the match! Link to todays coverage

Appreciate everyones support and send your positive energy our way! GO LOBOS!
FISH

November 8, 2016 
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER: Conference USA Tournament Update
Lobo Faithful,
Lobo Soccer is ready to ROLL! Landed in Charleston, WV Monday late afternoon, drove 45 minutes to Huntington, WV….checked into the Holiday Inn and traveled down the road for a short training session at Huntington High School. We needed to find a place to practice Monday night, as per Conference rules, we couldn’t get on the tournament fields until Tuesday. Coach Mike Graczyk had five days to find a training field for Monday night….preferably, artificial turf (tournament played on Marshall’s artificial field). He nailed it! First call to Huntington High and the stars were aligned! Athletic Director Bruce Senior is a New Mexican and his wife played basketball at UNM. Bruce met us at the field and was an incredible host. Lobos are everywhere! Great session, dinner and bed. We got on the game field today and had a short, high-energy session. The boys are ready for tomorrows 2:00 EST (12:00 MST) kickoff vs the Kentucky Wildcats. Link to Tournament and streaming info

The Lobo Soccer Twitter Account will be the best way to follow the action if you aren’t watching the live stream. Lobo Soccer Twitter Link

We are focused, rested and ready for tomorrow. Thanks for all your support. GO LOBOS!
FISH

November 3, 2016
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER: SENIOR NIGHT FRIDAY
Lobo Faithful,
Final regular season match and senior night tomorrow, Friday, November 4th, 7:00 PM at the Lobo Soccer Complex.

Seniors Chris Wehan, Chris Gurule, Nick Rochowski, Josh Goss and Niko Hansen will play their final regular season match as Lobos. Five young men who have given their all representing the State of New Mexico and the Lobos. Couldn’t be prouder of all they’ve accomplished and the men they have become. Senior night presentation prior to kickoff.

LOBOS VS OLD DOMINION, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH, 7:00 PM
LOBO SOCCER COMPLEX

Look forward to seeing everyone and thanks for all your support. The boys are playing extremely well and tomorrow night will be a high-paced, exciting match. Off to Huntington, West Virginia early Monday morning for the Conference-USA Tournament. Pack the stands and send the boys off in style! GO LOBOS!
FISH

October 20, 2016
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER: CHALLENGING STRETCH, OVERTIME NOT GOING OUR WAY
Lobo Faithful:
The plan was to skip Mondays Lobo Faithful and bring good news today. Tough match last Saturday on the road vs Florida Atlantic University. The trip into Ft. Lauderdale went smoothly and the boys were ready. FAU is a challenging team; inconsistent in terms of results, with several very talented attacking players. We got ahold of the game early and the vast majority of play took place in the FAU half. We were real happy with the opportunities we created, but failed to find the net in the opening half. We continued to find openings as the second half progressed and it seemed like only a matter of time before we would be rewarded. In the 72nd minute FAU was awarded a direct kick 40 yards from our goal. We lost a mark, diving header and we found ourselves down 0-1 with 18 minutes on the clock. We battled and really upped the tempo. With just under 3 minutes remaining in the match, Luke Lawrence found the equalizer to put us into overtime. Great chance early in overtime, but no finish. 2 minutes into the first overtime, FAU found the ball on their left flank in transition. Shot from outside the box, our GK was screened and the bouncing ball found the far post. Really tough 1-2 loss in a match we statistically dominated: 21-8 shots, 16-2 corners….the game was played in the FAU half. FAU Re-Cap

Early Sunday return flight to Albuquerque and back on the road Tuesday late morning to play #9 ranked Denver University Wednesday night. I was really proud of the players reaction to the FAU loss and their focussed preparation for a tough match vs a familiar foe. Denver was undefeated on the season and playing with a lot of confidence. Crisp evening and a very fast playing surface. The first half was fairly even with both sides playing it safe and giving up few openings. 0-0 after the opening 45, but we liked how we were playing. 6 minutes into the second half and Denver drew first blood. Cross from deep on the right flank slipped across the box and great far post finish from 18 yards. We had to up the tempo and chase the game. We got ahold of things and played some inspired soccer the next 38 minutes. With 65 seconds on the clock we found the equalizer. Nick Rochowski with the finish inside the box. Overtime! The first 10 minute overtime was fairly uneventful. We opened the second 10 minute overtime strong and Luke Lawrence had a great look, but was denied by a tremendous save by the DU keeper. With 15 seconds remaining in the match, Denver won a corner. As the clock ticked down, a service into the box and our defender went up to challenge. Deflection and a harmless looking ball floated towards our GK….looked like a disappointing tie. Not sure what happened, why….the ball slipped through Jason’s hands and across the goal line. 8 seconds on the clock and a gut wrenching overtime defeat. Not sure what to say, how to explain….a very good performance vs another “Top 10” opponent on the road. We had more possession, more shots, but didn’t find our moment! Hard to look the boys in the eyes after this one. A special group looking for answers. Denver Re-Cap

Four Conference matches remain, 3 of the 4 at home. Marshall University this Saturday at 1:00. We will re-group, focus and play our hearts out for the Lobo Faithful. Looking for moral victories during this tough stretch and feeling the pain. Thanks for all your support and see you this Saturday! GO LOBOS!
FISH

October 3, 2016
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER: IN THE THICK OF THINGS!
Lobo Faithful,
Tough night in Charlotte! We dodged Hurricane Matthew, managed the travel, prepared meticulously for a “Top 20” opponent….yet gave away “openings” to a quality team. Sitting here in the office early morning after a disappointing trip and result, one can only focus on the next match and learn from our experiences thus far. We have a wonderful and driven group….good times ahead! After two convincing home results, we were ready for #17 UNCC. We had our tactics right, were rested, excited and firing on all cylinders. Two first half goals off uncharacteristic mistakes and ensuing penalty kicks was not how we anticipated the match opening. As expected from this team, we never let down, re-grouped at halftime and came out firing with an early second half goal, with good chances to even the score the last 35 minutes of the match. Really disappointing 1-2 loss to a quality team. No excuses. Only ourselves to blame for this one! Match Re-Cap

Keeping things upbeat and in perspective, is our program’s continued academic achievement. Lobo Men’s Soccer just received the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the 13th time in the past 14 seasons. We have had 19 players named Academic All-American over the past 14 years. This is the most of any men’s soccer program in the country in all divisions of the NCAA. Really proud of our players’ commitment to excellence in the classroom, community and playing field! Website Article

Next match on the road vs Florida Atlantic this Saturday. We will be ready! Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS!
FISH

October 3, 2016
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER: FINDING THE NET … INTO THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE!
Lobo Faithful,
WE PLAY FOR YOU AND THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO! Lobo Soccer continues to build momentum as we head into a HURRICANE….literally and figuratively. Great performance last night vs. a very talented Loyola Marymount. Really proud of our leadership, preparation, focus, intensity, unity and offensive output! All 25 players are “ALL IN”. Everyone makes us better, cares about one another and works their a$$ off! Love this team! After a big conference win Friday, last nights match vs LMU had all the trappings for “complacency”…were the boys going to remain focused for a non-conference match, over-confident coming off Friday’s big win over Florida International, thinking ahead to Saturdays match vs Conference-USA leading UNC Charlotte……not the case. The entire squad was ready from the get go. Energized warm-up and we opened the match with quality, creating early chances and carrying the run of play. Should have put 2-3 chances in the net the first 25 minutes and then hit a bit of a lull the last 20. Good response at halftime and re-focused after hitting upon a few key points. 3 goals in the opening 10 minutes of the second half and all Lobos! Rochowski, Hansen and Herrera all with finishes. Great defense for 90 minutes and our 5th clean sheet. Well done boys! Re-cap and Highlights

Now for the “Hurricane” part of the story. We depart for Charlotte, NC Friday morning for a 7:00 pm Saturday match. Hurricane Matthew is hammering the east coast….#15 UNC Charlotte is “on fire” and leading Conference-USA. We are heading into a Hurricane….literally and figuratively. Checking the weather this morning (using my amateur meteorology skills), it appears Matthew has deviated from his initial path and Charlotte will miss out on the heavy rains. Fingers crossed, we are planning for good weather Saturday night and a tremendous match. The team will be fresh, prepared and ready for the challenge ahead. Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS!
FISH

October 3, 2016
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER … FINDING THE NET!
Lobo Faithful,
Quick turnaround this week….boys are recovered, excited and ready to GET IT ON! Big game tomorrow night vs Loyola Marymount, 7:00 PM at the Lobo Soccer Complex. Friday nights Conference-USA home opener vs Florida International was all we could ask for…..dynamic play on both sides of the ball and key attacking performances from players we need points from. 4-1 victory over a very talented FIU squad. We came out firing on all cylinders and never looked back. Two goals to open from Chris Wehan…big time finishes and exciting to see Chris come alive in front of the net. Niko Hansen got the third with a far post blast from the top of the box and Luke Lawrence the fourth via a pinpoint pass from Sam Gleadle. 4-0 Lobos, with FIU finding a late one to ruin our clean sheet. Final 4-1 Lobos. Sure nice to score goals! Video link to goals and game write-up: Match Re-Cap

LOBOS VS LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4TH, 7:00 PM
LOBO SOCCER COMPLEX

We play a rare Tuesday night match vs non-conference foe, Loyola Marymount, tomorrow night. LMU is coming off a thrilling 4-3 victory over Santa Barbara. This will be an explosive, attack oriented match. Don’t miss this one! I really like our boys focus, cohesiveness and desire for constant improvement. Ready for tomorrow night! Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS!
FISH

September 28, 2016
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER … CHALLENGE TO KEEP THE STREAK ALIVE, TOUGH ONE IN THE BLUEGRASS STATE
Lobo Faithful,
After five straight victories and carrying momentum into our Conference-USA opener vs Kentucky, the ball didn’t bounce our way. Smooth trip into Lexington, KY (actually flew into Louisville and drove 90 minutes) and the boys were well prepared, focussed and excited to kick-off Conference play. Coaches Graczyk and Souders nailed the scouting report and we were ready for the Wildcats’ style of play: physical, direct, “defend first” mentality and a bit of quality in the attack. Beautiful stadium and the game management staff was outstanding.…the people at UK are really proud of their athletic program, total “buy in” and first class operation. 7:05 kickoff and both teams playing it safe to open. Five minutes in and Kentucky scored on what appeared to be a deflected shot from the top of the box. A goal you finish one out of 100 times. No panic and we went about our business. The game settled and we started to find our rhythm and really dominate play in the later stages of the opening half. Great chance by Sam Gleadle in the waning seconds. 0-1 heading into intermission. We came out “En Fuego” the second half. After 10 minutes, a goal seemed right around the corner. Our pressure, ball speed and chances continued throughout the half. All the action in Kentucky’s half and we were feeling good. Two goals called off for offsides and we did everything but put the ball in the net. What a disappointing result going down 0-1 to a quality opponent, in a match we dominated. Need to take our chances….need to score goals to win games.Kentucky Re-Cap

No looking back….great games ahead. Our Conference-USA home opener is this Friday night vs Florida International. Dynamic opponent and excellent match-up for us. Two “soccer playing” teams and this should be an exciting one!

LOBOS VS FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 7:00 PM
LOBO SOCCER COMPLEX

We will be ready Friday night and need your energy in the stands! Thanks for all your support and exciting times ahead. GO LOBOS!
FISH

September 21, 2016
NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER … THE BOYS ARE ROLLING!
Lobo Faithful,
University of New Mexico Lobo Soccer is ROLLING! The boys are playing extremely well and are passionate about improving every day! It’s a pleasure being around such a committed and driven group. We just returned from Southern California and a single match vs University of California Irvine. This trip was easy compared to what lies ahead. More challenging getting to Lexington, KY and Charlotte, NC. We arrived Friday afternoon and kicked-off at 8:00 pm Saturday night. Late start, but the team was prepared, focussed and sharp! 3-1 win in a balanced performance. Re-cap. 3-goal performance from Niko Hansen. His first was really well taken and the 2nd and 3rd were the result of great teammates (and well taken). For his efforts, Niko was named College Soccer News National Player of the Week. The entire team is deserving and more will be asked of our attacking group moving forward, as defenses get better and better.

After opening the season vs two very physical and organized “top 10” opponents, we have gotten back on track with 5 consecutive wins over good, but not great opponents. We can’t be naive in thinking Conference-USA play will come easy. We open this Sunday in Lexington vs an excellent Kentucky team. Physical, direct, disciplined with a special attacking player. Our boys need to be focussed on this game, not the past or what lies ahead. We will know quite a bit more about ourselves after this weekend. I’m excited for our preparation and the challenge ahead. Thanks for all your support and see you back at home Friday, September 30th vs Florida International. GO LOBOS!
FISH

September 14, 2016
NEW MEXICO SOCCER ON A ROLL! CHECK OUT THE GAMEWINNING GOALS…
Lobo Faithful,
University of New Mexico Soccer is locking it down! Can’t say enough about our team’s leadership, resilience, camaraderie, passion and drive. After a tough opening weekend (Indiana currently #4 in the country and ND #2), we’ve won four straight, all shutouts and our energy continues to grow. We are creating chances and playing some “Big Time” D! The best defense, is a good offense. We are possessing the ball, controlling the midfield, keeping our opponents on their heels and dictating the rhythm of the game. Like this group!

This past weekend was the Grange and Ashwill Memorial Invitational. Michael Grange, Michelle Grange, Tom Ashwill and Donna Ashwill  (parents of Pat and Ben), were recognized at midfield prior to Friday nights match. It was wonderful to acknowledge their sons’ contributions and let them know that Pat and Ben are always with us. The boys were ready to go from the kickoff Friday night vs Cal State Bakersfield. 3200+ in the stands, beautiful evening and great atmosphere. Bakersfield was really good….we got their best match of the season and the fans witnessed 90 minutes of quality soccer….actually 109 minutes and 32 seconds. We created chances, but couldn’t find the net in regulation. Talk about coming down to the wire. This was a game we deserved to win, but a tie looked to be the outcome. 38 seconds remaining in the second 10 minute overtime and GK Jason Beaulieu with a huge punt landing just outside the CSUB 18. Niko Hansen with a bit of magic and with 28 seconds left in the match, Niko found the winner. 1-0 Lobos. You need to have a look at this one! Hansen Game Winner  and Match Re-cap 

Sunday’s match vs Grand Canyon had an ominous beginning. Rain and lightning caused kickoff to be delayed an hour. We got rolling at 7:00 and the boys kept their focus throughout the wait. Good out the gate, but hats off to Grand Canyon. Great defense and another gutsy performance from a visiting team. Pretty even match the first 45, but we starting getting a hold of things in the second half and found the net in the 54th minute. Niko Hansen again with what would prove to be the game winner (Hansen’s second match winner of the weekend). This was a world class goal…have a look Hansen Game Winner and Match Re-cap 

With the GCU win, came the Tournament title with Hansen being named Tournament MVP/Offensive MVP and Tom Smart named Defensive MVP. Chris Gurule and Jason Beaulieu joined Niko and Tom on the All-Tournament team.

We are off to Southern California this weekend to face UC Irvine Saturday night. Playing a single match will allow the boys to get their legs back, as we enter Conference-USA play the following weekend vs the #10 ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats on the road. Ready for Conference play and the accompanying challenges. Love this team! Thanks for all your support and see you back home on September 30th vs Florida International. GO LOBOS!
FISH

September 7, 2016
BIG HOME WEEKEND, COMING OFF TWO WINS!
Lobo Faithful,
Last weekend was a big one for us. Two convincing wins, two shutouts and the boys are finding their form! Our defense has yet to give up a goal in the run of play and we are becoming more dynamic and fluid in attack. I really love this group! Unified, hard-working, tough and empathetic…..they really care about one another, a rare quality amongst competitive athletes these days. Friday night’s 2-0 win over a quality Northridge  team was highlighted by one of our “all-time” best opening halves of soccer. The first 45 minutes was fantastic on both sides of the ball. We debuted our new turquoise uniforms….New Mexico Pride! Fun team to watch! Northridge Re-Cap

The boys were disciplined with their recovery after the match Friday night and again on Saturday. Full of energy and prepared for Sunday’s match vs a very talented Cal Poly. A very comprehensive performance rewarded with another 2-0 win. With the 6 points (3 points for a win), we captured the TLC Plumbing and Utility Invitational Championship. Cal Poly Re-Cap

Another challenging home weekend ahead of us, as we host The Grange and Ashwill Memorial Invitational. Patrick Grange and Ben Ashwill were Lobo Soccer greats who departed much too soon. I think of them often….tough one to swallow, but a reminder to make the most of every day and make an impact on the lives of others. We open with Cal State Bakersfield this Friday at 7:00 and play Grand Canyon Sunday at 6:00. Missouri State is the neutral and open the tournament vs GCU Friday at 4:00 pm.
Link to the tournament, teams, media and coverage

LOBOS VS BAKERSFIELD FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH, 7:00 PM
GRANGE AND ASHWILL MEMORIAL INVITATIONAL
LOBOS VS GRAND CANYON, SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11TH, 6:00 PM

Thanks for all your support and see you this weekend. GO LOBOS!
FISH

August 31, 2016
THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO LOBO SOCCER HOME OPENER AND OPENING WEEKEND RECAP
Lobo Faithful,
The University of New Mexico Lobo Soccer season is off with a BANG! NO HIDING THIS YEAR.  Early challenges against two “Top 15” teams on the road: #12 Indiana and #9 Notre Dame. Tough go of things. We fought, played well, created chances, but came out on the wrong side in both contests. 1-0 losses, both games decided by penalty kicks, with our boys playing very well.  We could have very well returned home with two victories. We opened with Indiana on Friday night. An even match with the Lobos creating the better of the chances. 30 seconds left in regulation and the official made a really harsh call on an unintentional hand ball in the box. Not a call you see often in the waning minutes of a tight match. Well taken by the Hoosier and 0-1 hard fought defeat to an excellent team: Box Score

Real proud of the boys’ effort, resiliency and focus going into Sunday’s match vs the #9 Fighting Irish. 2:00 pm scheduled kickoff delayed four hours due to nearby lightning. We kept our focus and dealt well with adversity. Quite a match! Great opening and 39 excellent minutes. In the 40th minute, we committed a foul against the run of play at the edge of the penalty box. Official pointed to the PK spot and we found ourselves down a goal with 50 minutes remaining in regulation. Tremendous second half from the Lobos. A very convincing performance over 90 minutes, doing everything but finding the net. Lobos with 18-6 advantage in shots, 13-5 advantage in corner kicks, thwarted by some tremendous GK play from ND. Soccer is a cruel game and matches against top opponents are decided my little moments and decisions. Website Article

HOME OPENER THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AT 7:00 PM VS NORTHRIDGE
AND
LOBOS VS CAL POLY SUNDAY AT 6:00 PM

We play our home opener this Friday night vs Cal State Northridge in the second match of the 2016 TLC Plumbing and Utility Invitational. Cal Poly and Air Force play the first match at 4:00 pm. I am really impressed with our team. 17 match regular season, 15 to go and good times ahead! Hope everyone can come out for Friday’s 7:00 pm match and again on Sunday at 6:00 pm vs Cal Poly.

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Thanks for all your support and GO LOBOS!
FISH

August 16, 2016
2016 UNDERWAY: QUALITY PERFORMANCE VS UNLV IN EXHIBITION PLAY!
Lobo Faithful,
One week into preseason and the team is quickly taking shape! Tremendous leadership from our five seniors, very unified and everyone excited for what lies ahead! First of three exhibitions last night at the Lobo Soccer Complex vs the Rebels of UNLV. Our boys came out firing, putting two in the back of the net in the first 20 minutes. Niko Hansen with the brace. In the waning moments of the first half, Sam Gleadle found the net to make it 3-0 Lobos. After 90 fast paced minutes, the score remained, as our defense stayed focused and secured the shutout. A well-rounded performance with everyone seeing minutes. UNLV Re-Cap 

Recovery day today, video and training tomorrow….back at it early Thursday, with a 10:00 am exhibition vs Fort Lewis College. We finish up our preseason and exhibition slate 7:00 pm this Saturday night vs the Washington Huskies at the Lobo Soccer Complex. Two more challenging tests prior to opening the season in South Bend, Indiana vs the #15 Indiana Hoosiers and #10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Thanks for your support. GO LOBOS!
FISH

July 22, 2016
READY TO GET THINGS ROLLING…NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE!
Lobo Faithful,
The days have flown by and pre-season is right around the corner. I love our team and our players passion and drive to achieve excellence in everything they do! We have a tremendous schedule this fall and don’t shy away from playing the top competition in the country: 8 NCAA teams from 2015 on the schedule and we open on the road vs former national champions and nationally ranked Indiana University and Notre Dame. 2016 Lobo Soccer Schedule Our goal is to be the BEST and to accomplish this, you have to play the best!

I can’t tell you how proud I am of our players; former and current, and their commitment to excellence in the classroom, in the community and on the playing field. Chris Wehan named to Hermann Trophy watch list (top 30 players in the country nominated) The goal of Lobo Soccer, is to run the most COMPREHENSIVE AND SUCCESSFUL program in the country: TOTAL DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PLAYERS AND OUTSTANDING REPRESENTATION OF OUR UNIVERSITY, CITY AND STATE. Josh Dye and Adrian Mora, last years seniors, are currently employed locally as engineers (electrical and civil), Andrew Parsons is back at UNM as an orthopedic surgical resident, Simon Ejdemyr is finishing up his Ph.D at Stanford University in Political Science, Victor Rodriguez is working for Child Protective Services here in Albuquerque, Jon Weaver is a medical resident in anesthesiology in Syracuse, NY,  James Urbany is a licensed social worker living in Albuquerque working for the public schools as a liaison for homeless children with a masters degree from NMSU, Chris Wright is entering his third year of medical school in Austin, Texas after a professional playing career in Germany, Lars Loseth is running a daily newspaper in Oslo, Norway, Eric Bagwell lives in New York City and works as an urban planner with a masters degree from NYU ……15 former players living out their dreams as professional soccer players…the list goes on and on. Lobo Soccer is developing incredible young men who are impacting our community, are making a difference across the country and around the world. We are passionate about achieving our potential in everything we do.

This being said, we have to fundraise a minimum of $80,000 this year to cover current operating expenses. Not fun, not expected, but this is our reality. You have been a tremendous supporter of Lobo Soccer and have made a significant impact on our ability to support our players in their pursuit of excellence. Here is our booster club brochure: 2016 Golden Goal Club Brochure 100% of money raised goes directly to our program. I am committed to keeping our players dreams alive and will raise the necessary funding. Please feel free to contact me directly with questions regarding ways you can support Lobo Soccer. Exciting times ahead! Exhibition match vs UNLV August 15th 7:00 pm at home. GO LOBOS!
FISH