Ambitious.
That is the word senior forward Claire Lynch used to describe the UNM women’s soccer team, one that is full of new faces and fresh promise.
The Lobos will be hoping to improve upon last year’s record of 9-7-3 — and this time, they will have more opportunities to showcase their talent in front of a home crowd.
The team is schedule to play on its home turf at the UNM Soccer Complex 11 times this season, compared to just seven such matches last season. In the 2016 campaign, the Lobos fell short of qualifying for the Mountain West Conference Tournament, despite beating conference powerhouses San Diego State and Utah State.
Before kicking off the 2017 season, the Lobos will host an exhibition match against Colorado State University-Pueblo, a NCAA Division II program in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
The ThunderWolves went 14-5-1 last season and lost 2-1 in the final of the Rocky Mountain Conference Tournament to Colorado School of Mines. CSU-Pueblo’s strong season saw the team earn its first appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
For both UNM and CSU-Pueblo, the exhibition match will be the final opportunity for the coaches and fans alike to see their players in action before the start of the regular season.
The Lobos official start to the 2017 season will begin Friday night against the University of San Francisco. The Dons compete in the NCAA Division I and are a member of the West Coast Conference.
The Dons finished the 2016 season 7-12 and won once away from home in their 11 road matches. Finishing seventh in the West Coast Conference Tournament, USF failed to qualify for the Conference Tournament — something that head coach Jim Millinder will be hoping to alter in the upcoming campaign.
San Francisco went 3-6 in Conference play and lost their final game of the season 2-1 to UC Santa Clara.
The Lobos will likely be looking to get a look at many of the new players the team picked up. In addition to recruiting a conference and NCAA high 15 freshman, the Lobos will see the return of many players that were featured often last season.
Sophomore midfielder Jesse Hix, sophomore forward Gwen Maly, junior midfielder Jennifer Muñoz, senior forward Claire Lynch, senior defender Alexa Cabrales, senior defender Ashley Ballantyne and senior defender Emily Chavez should bring the experience and leadership necessary to bring the newcomers along.
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Ballantyne and Chavez were paired in central defense during the majority of last season, and Lynch netted eight goals, bringing her career tally to 17 and placing her fourth in program history for most goals.
In her third year at the helm, UNM head coach Heather Dyche could be poised to see a young, energetic squad deliver the consistency that last season’s team never seemed to quite find.
The match between the Lobos and the Dons will take place on Friday, Aug. 18 at 7:30 p.m at the UNM Soccer Complex. The Lobos won’t be at home again until Sept. 15, where they will take on the University of Houston.
Matthieu Cartron is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers women’s soccer. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @cartron_matt.
