UNM turns attention to C-USA action
Lobos face different kind of play style
The 21st-ranked UNM men’s soccer team enters the critical portion of its schedule today, carrying the momentum of a strong preseason, but cautionary tales from a recent past.
The Lobos (5-2-0) play at Kentucky at 5 p.m. in their opening match of the Conference USA season. They have won five in a row, including four shutouts. In their seven matches, they have given up only three scores — two via penalty kicks and one off a corner.
“We’re very confident,” UNM junior goalkeeper Jason Beaulieu said. “Obviously we’re playing well. Even in the two losses (to No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 4 Indiana) we’ve been playing great. But we know that conference is going to be difficult.”
The Lobos have been here before. In 2014, UNM was 5-11 going into C-USA play, only to drop the league opener at Charlotte. They finished 4-4-0 in the conference. Last year, the Lobos again were 5-1-1, with the only loss coming at No. 1 UCLA. But they began league play at South Carolina and lost in overtime. At the end of the season they were 1-4-2 and seventh in the nineteam league.
“We went into conference maybe a bit relaxed,” senior Niko Hansen said. “I think last year’s team had the drive. And I don’t think the relax was an overconfidence thing. We were unlucky, then we never dug ourselves out of the hole.”
Coach Jeremy Fishbein disagrees a bit.
“Last year we had that really good start and I think we took it for granted that we were kind of going to cruise into the conference,” Fishbein said. “We probably weren’t respectful enough of our opponents.”
But the Lobos promise it will
Today Men’s soccer: No. 21 UNM at Kentucky, ESPN3.com, 5 p.m.
be different.
“We’re prepared for this year,” Hansen said. “We’ve learned from it, for sure. We know there’s going to be a fight in order to win.”
“This year’s a little different,” Fishbein said. “We know what we’ve got ahead of us. I think the guys are really excited for this challenge. We see ourselves as a team that can deal with the physical nature of these games, deal with the intensity and still maintain some quality.”
If UNM has learned anything in its three previous seasons in C-USA, it’s that the style is more rugged than typically played in the West.
“It’s a different animal, man,” Fishbein said. “These teams are really physically and mentally tough. There are a couple of special players. They’re well-coached, good buy-in. And disciplined teams.”
Kentucky, which won the C-USA regular-season title last year with a 7-0-1 record, is a good example.
The Wildcats (4-2-1, 0-1-0) feature Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Napo Matsoso, a senior forward, and senior defender Jordan Wilson, who is on the Mac Hermann Award watch list.
“It’s a good team,” Fishbein said. “It’s a team that defends extremely well, looks to capitalize on your mistakes. They have a lot of workmanlike players, with one special attacking player.”
“They work really hard,” Hansen said. “It’s not going to be an easy one. We’re going to have to work together and really bring our game.”
Hansen has been bringing it to the tune of six goals (four game-winners) and an assist. His 1.86 points average is second-best in the league.
But only three other Lobos have scored, and they each have one apiece.
So defense has been the calling card. Defenders Chris Gurule, Aaron Herrera and Nick Rochowski have started all seven games, with at least 600 minutes of playing time each. Freshman defender Matthew Constant missed a couple of games playing with Canada’s U-20 team but has played 470 minutes in five matches.
“Those guys are doing awesome back there,” Hansen said. “We really work as a team. It starts with the forwards, but the back eight and ’keeper are locking it down.”
“We haven’t given the other teams a lot of openings,” said Beaulieu, whose .416 goals against average is second in the league. “We haven’t conceded many goals. … We always want to have zero goals, zero errors. We’re working toward even better. We’re going to play better opponents, and we have to be ready for them.”
Beginning tonight.