The New Mexico Lobos (2-2-0) offense unleashed their best effort, as four different players put goals in the back of the net en route to a 4-1 victory over the Marquette Golden Eagles on Monday night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
It was the effort that the team, and head coach Jeremy Fishbein were looking for.
"I really feel like we got the performance we needed," Fishbein said in a release. "The win over UNLV was a little bitter sweet. The guys weren't thrilled with their performance so this was a really great reaction. We came out with a lot of fire, scored some really good goals and got on top early.”
The first half started quickly for the Lobos, as Devin Boyce scored off of a pass from Alex Vedamanikam in the sixth minute of the match. Following the goal, things settled down a bit for Marquette, and the run of play was back-and-forth. Both teams were able to generate a few chances, but no one was converting. In the 24th minute, Marquette finally broke through with a goal of their own, as Grant Owens was able to bury a header in the back of the net to tie the game.
However, the tie was short lived, as just a minute later the Lobos got back on top with a goal from Nick Taylor off of a Sam Gleadle assist. Following UNM’s second goal, the run of play shifted drastically in favor of the Lobos. Before their third goal in the 40th minute, the Lobos had been ramping up the pressure with five shots in 10 minutes. Finally, Devin Boyce played a corner to the back post, and Luke Lawrence slid in and put the ball in the back of the net to make it 3-1. The Golden Eagles were able to put a bit of pressure on, as the team had another shot off of a corner kick before the half, but it didn’t result in anything.
After the half, Marquette had an early opportunity to get themselves back into the game. Less than five minutes into the half, Brody Kraussel drove into the box and forced two excellent diving saves in a row from goalie Jason Beaulieu. Without that effort from Beaulieu, the tone of the game would have shifted into Marquette’s favor; at 3-2, the Golden Eagles would have been right back in the game, but thanks to his play, the Lobos were still in complete control. Shortly after that, Wedner Delmonte headed across from Devin Boyce into the back of the net for his first goal as a Lobo to take the score to 4-1 in the 58th minute. The scoring stopped, but the Lobos chances didn’t, as the team refused to let up on Marquette, and continued to create chances for themselves throughout the remainder of the contest. The biggest positive for coach Fishbein was the offensive output.
"The scoring with Luke, Nick, Wedner and Devin was really balanced, and it was great to see that kind of offensive output. We had a lot of guys play and contribute and the energy levels were good, we're really looking forward to returning to Albuquerque and playing at home on Friday night."
Not to be overshadowed by the offense, was the defensive effort that the team put in.
"Defensively, it wasn't easy," Fishbein said. "Jason made a couple of great saves, and our center backs were really good. This is really what we needed, and it's nice to be able to return home and play our next three games at home."
The first of those three games begins Friday, Sep. 8 at 7 p.m. against Cal State Northridge as the Lobos kick off the Grange and Ashwill Tournament. There will be a matchup against UC Irvine on Sunday.
Cameron Goeldner is a freelance sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers men’s soccer but also contributes content for baseball, basketball, football and track and field. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @goeldfinger.
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