by Kristie Boudwin
Daily Lobo
It is pretty standard practice for a walk-on to ride the bench.
It is not so standard for a walk-on to be called to the bench because he has secured a conference win by the 25th minute.
Former walk-on Jeff Rowland had a hat trick in the UNM men's soccer team's 7-2 win against the University of Nevada-Las Vegas on Saturday night at the UNM Soccer Complex.
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Rowland bounced back from a no-goal performance in last weekend's humbling 3-2 loss in overtime to San Jose State University with three goals and an assist by the 25th minute against the Runnin' Rebels.
He played just 39 minutes of the game.
"We lost our last game and just wanted to get back on the field and prove that we were a good team and could score goals," Rowland said. "We came out fired up and said, 'We have got to come out this game, and we have got to come out early.'"
UNM succeeded in dominating the Runnin' Rebels early.
Rowland scored a goal in the third minute off a throw-in from Lance Watson.
In the fourth minute, Rowland scored on a free kick from the top of the box.
Rowland and senior center midfielder Brandon Moss had an assist to senior Lance Watson in the 19th minute.
Rowland completed his hat trick with a goal in the 25th minute.
Central defender Andrew Boyens said Rowland has been trying hard the last few weeks to put one in the back of the net, but the team has been struggling to get quality balls to him.
"He just got on the end of a couple of great passes," Boyens said. "It's good when we can get the team to give him good balls, because if he gets good balls, he will put them away."
Right back Ben Ashwill scored yet another goal for UNM in the 41st minute.
In the 42nd minute, UNLV was finally able to answer the Lobos' 5-0 run with a goal, putting the halftime score at 5-1.
Erik Bagwell and Boyens each scored in the second half. The Runnin' Rebels' retaliation was minimal, scoring just once more in the 76th minute.
Rowland said the team is glad to have its head coach Jeremy Fishbein back after he was out of town for the week and for the game against San Jose State last Sunday tending to the illness and death of his father.
"It was really weird last week," Rowland said. "We are so used to having the big man around, bossing us around and getting us pumped up. He is in good spirits for what he has just been through, and it is great to have him back here."
Rowland said the loss was a wake-up call for the team. He said the team came out of its undefeated nonconference games overconfident because it was so successful against teams that were supposedly better than conference rivals.
"I think we got a bit complacent," Rowland said. "We came out thinking we were going to roll through conference. Of course, that is not going to happen, and you can't take any game for granted."
UNM will play UNLV again next week in Las Vegas. Boyens said he hopes this win doesn't give the team too much swagger, because it will be a much bigger challenge without its home-field advantage.
Fishbein said a five-goal drubbing isn't likely to repeat itself next weekend against the Runnin' Rebels.
"I think we will definitely have our hands full," Fishbein said.
