Lobos hope to build on great preseason
UNM men open 2016 with matches against Indiana, Notre Dame
Pretty much the only fault one could find in the New Mexico Lobo men’s last three outings is that they just didn’t count.
Three exhibition games, three shutouts by an aggregate (there’s a good soccer word) 8-0 score left the Lobos feeling good about the dawn of their season, which is 3 p.m. today vs. No. 13 Indiana. It opens play in the Mike Berticellie Memorial Tournament hosted by No. 9 Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.
Lobos coach Jeremy Fishbein said in an email this week applauded his team’s “tremendous” preseason, even though it now must reset to 0-0-0 and dream of possibilities. “We are healthy, unified and excited to open the season,” he added.
Fishbein’s crew returns eight starters from last year’s 8-6-4 team, including MAC Hermann watch list honoree Chris Wehan at midfield, and his fellow preseason All-Conference USA selection Niko Hansen at forward. After the 2013 Final Four campaign, the Lobos haven’t been able to get back to the NCAAs.
UNM was picked to tie for fourth place in the league in a preseason poll conducted of the conference’s coaches, finishing behind Kentucky, Charlotte, FIU and tied with South Carolina.
In the Lobos’ three exhibitions —wins over Fort Lewis (4-0), UNLV (3-0) and Washington (1-0) — UNM may have portended another offensive threat. Hansen had four of the team’s eight preseason goals.
It suggests offensive balance that the Lobos lacked desperately last season when Wehan, a senior from Laguna Niguel, Calif., scored 10 of the team’s 22 goals.
Indiana is one of the bluebloods
of NCAA men’s soccer. The Hoosiers’ berth in the 2015 NCAA Tournament was their 29th consecutive and 40th in program history. Senior midfielder Tanner Thompson and junior defender Grant Lillard also are Hermann Trophy watch list members.
UNM returns to action Sunday to face host Notre Dame at noon.
UNM WOMEN: The Lobos face their second ranked opponent in two outings today when they face No. 21 Cal (1-1-0) in Berkeley. Then Sunday, UNM plays at Pacific (0-1-0) in Stockton.
The Lobos (0-1-0) opened the season last Friday with a 2-1 loss at then-No. 19 Texas Tech, which since has risen to No. 16. UNM and Texas Tech were scoreless through the first 58 minutes before a pair of goals six minutes apart gave the Red Raiders a 2-0 advantage. Maddie Irwin scored five minutes later for the Lobos to cut the lead in half to conclude the scoring in New Mexico’s fourth consecutive loss to Tech.
NMSU WOMEN: The 0-2-0 Aggies seek their first goal of the season today at Valparaiso (Ind.) on an ESPN3. com-streamed matchup of 0-2-0 teams at 6:30 p.m. New Mexico State is coming off losses of 5-0 to UTEP and 1-0 to Northern Arizona.
Seven projected Aggie starters and 17 of the 28 roster members hail from New Mexico. The starting lineup includes St. Pius alumnae Samantha Alfonso, Dominique Rivera and Gabby Campbell; Cleveland alumna Audriana Chavez; Albuquerque High alumna Rebecca Mazzie; and Las Cruces grads Micaela Milavec and Cristina Bertoldo.