The University of New Mexico men’s soccer team secured its first shutout of the season and snapped a three game losing streak in a 2-0 win over Florida Atlantic University, with both goals coming from players who hadn’t scored yet this season.
Simon Spangenberg and Billy Jones were the goal scorers for the Lobos (3-5-0, 1-1-0 C-USA) and were able to give the Lobos an offensive boost on a night when the team’s two leading scorers, Matt Puig and Omar Grey combined for only one shot on goal.
"Of course I'm really happy to get our first shutout. It was important to get a conference win on the road and both guys that scored - it was their first goal of the season. It's the mark of a good performance when other guys can find the net," head coach Jeremy Fishbein said in a release. "We adjusted the lineup a bit and I'm happy with the result. It could have been better, but I think it's a good thing when you feel like there's still room for improvement after a win like that."
The Lobos controlled the ball from the start and wasted no time scoring, with Spangenberg scoring in the ninth minute, finishing a cross from Nick Taylor. The Lobos second and final goal of the game came in the 24th minute when Taylor launched a free kick into the box that found the foot of Jones to give the Lobos the 2-0 lead that they would hold through the final whistle.
Freshman Alex Fetterly got his second straight start in goal for the Lobos and recorded four saves in net along the way to the first shutout of the season. Fetterly replaced junior Ford Parker, who started for the Lobos to begin the season.
The shot count was fairly even, finishing 12-11 in favor of the Lobos, and 6-4 in shots on goal. However, the Lobos were outshot 7-6 in the first half, but were able to put their two shots on goal into the back of the net secure the lead. Spangenberg and Taylor combined to lead the team in shots on goal with two each.
Matteo Pieschacon led the Owls, recording two of the team’s four shots on goal in just 45 minutes of action.
The Lobos will next take the field on Wednesday against St. Mary’s in the second-to-last non-conference game of the season. The Gaels are ranked No. 17 in the country and are coming off of a victory over No. 13 UC-Davis.
"Our challenge now will be to continue to get better. We'll face a great test against Saint Mary's that's currently 9-0, one of the few undefeated teams in the country, so we'll be taking the next few days to get ready for that test," Fishbein said in a release.
The St. Mary’s game is the first of three straight at home for the Lobos over the next week. The Lobos next conference game will be next Saturday against Florida International.
Cameron Goeldner is a sports beat reporter and photographer for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers men’s soccer, women’s basketball, softball and the Albuquerque Isotopes, but also contributes content for baseball, basketball, football and track and field. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @goeldfinger.
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