The UNM men's soccer team shocked many in 2001.
The Lobos, winless in regualr season play, entered the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament seeded eighth in the eight-team league and proceeded to win three games in four days - including a 3-2 first-round upset of regular season champion California State University at Sacramento.
The Lobos success continued into the NCAA tournament. The upset Florida International University 1-0 in its first game before being defeated by host Southern Methodist University 2-0.
The team enters the 2002 campaign having lost four key members of the 2001 team - second team All-MPSF selection Jovan Batiste, second-team All-MPSF and Tournament MVP Ty Hibbert, all-tournament team member Ivan Wilson and head coach Klaus Weber, who retired in June.
Even with these losses, UNM, now led by former assistant coach Jeremy Fishbein, looks to build on its postseason success. The path to that success starts this weekend in Las Vegas, Nev., where the Lobos begin the season against Northern Illinois University on Friday and Marshall University on Sunday.
Fishbein, a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, with nine years of head coaching experience at the Division II level.
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Normally the switch in coaching staffs would hinder a program. But Fishbein said that his work with the team the last year-and-a-half should make the change easier.
"I have a good rapport with the guys and I was involved in recruiting the players we have," he said. "I feel comfortable around the players, which is very important."
The Lobos return four players who are expected to make major impact. - senior captains Javier Carrasco and Junro Narita, UNM's top scorer in 2001, and juniors, Micah Newman, and Stian Eriksen.
"I think all our returning players are ready to go," Fishbein said. "Our seniors, Javier Carrasco and Junro Narita will do a good job for us. I think everybody will do well."
The new recruits Fishbein and his staff brought in will have a major impact on whether the team can return to the NCAAs - as will the transfers the Lobos will be bringing in. Among the newcomers are two New Mexico Players of the Year - freshman Brandon Moss, the 2001 recipient of the award, and transfer Rickie Francis, the recipient in 2000.
Also on the team are three top in-state players, incoming freshmen Ben Ashwill, Matt Chavez and junior transfer Josef Bachmeier.
Coupled with these players is goalkeeper Andrew Weber, who started every game last season as a freshman. The 6-foot-2, 160 pound sophomore recorded five shutouts last season, including three in a row during the postseason.
Fishbein said he feels confident starting the season, especially in the heat of Vegas against Northern Illinois and Marshall, which he described as physical teams.
"We'll have to rely on good ball movement and speed and quickness," he said.
The Lobos will be required to have these skills the rest of the season as well, due to the somewhat conservative style Fishbein is preaching to his players.
"We're a ball possession team, but we'll commit a good number of players to the attack," he said. "Given the opportunity, we'll definitely go into more attacking. There will be more pressure on the midfield, but I think we're a pretty well-rounded team."
UNM plays Georgia Southern University and The University of Illinois at Chicago in Denver before returning to host the TLC Plumbing and Utility Invitational Sept. 13 and Sept. 15, at the UNM Soccer Complex.
