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UNM forward Devon Sandoval takes on two Air Force players. The undefeated UNM soccer team finishes its road schedule this weekend, taking on Seattle tonight and Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday.

The last of the undefeated

The Lobo Men’s Soccer team is the last undefeated squad in the nation.

The No.5 team is the only team in the country yet to lose a game after No.1 University of Connecticut, lost 2-0 on Wednesday to West Virginia.

The Lobos are currently 11-0-2, and go one the road to face Seattle University on Friday. The team faces a particularly tough test when it plays No.22 Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday.

“We have high expectations going into the weekend,” freshman Nick Miele said. “Overall, we are going in there to play our best and continue what we have been doing this season.”

Seattle is currently sitting in last place in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference with a 2-8-2 record.

Cal State Bakersfield was picked to win the MPSF this year and has the second best record in the conference behind UNM with an 8-1-4 record, losing its first game of the season last Sunday to San Jose State.

This season UNM has 10 players on the roster from New Mexico and has been helped by Albuquerque natives Devon Sandoval, Carson Baldinger, Lawrence Robledo, who have all scored this season.

Contributing to the success of New Mexico players is goalkeeper Victor Rodriguez and Miele who moved to the state when they were younger.

Head coach Jeremy Fishbein said players from New Mexico have a sense of pride when playing for their home school.

“I think that’s what we have especially with these New Mexico kids,” he said. “It’s a big deal when you are playing for your home university, and when you have New Mexico across your chest and you step on the field. Those guys want to win pretty bad and compete.”

This season the Lobos have been bolstered by outstanding support from the community — 2,961 fans came out to watch last Friday’s game against Denver, and Sunday had a season-high 4,781 fans watching against rivals Air Force.

Sandoval said it was his goal to come here and play ever since he was a little kid and said it’s the team’s job to win in front of its home fans.

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“I love it,” he said. “I grew up watching UNM play every season since I was little so it’s a dream come true. We expect to be great for our fans and for everyone that watches.”

Miele, much like Sandoval, said it has always been his goal to play for UNM ever since watching the team play when he was a kid.

“I have always had aspirations since I moved here when I was younger to play here, and I have seen it develop over the past four years and it really opened my eyes to the next level,” Miele said.

UNM has been in the top 10 in attendance records for the past eight years and in 2005 had the highest attendance per game in the nation.

“It’s a rush to look up in the stands and see all those people,” Miele said. “It makes you want to do well for them because they are not just fans, they are part of the team. They help us with all of our victories at home and on the road because we know we have that support behind us.”

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