One goal was the difference between being on top and dwelling in the cellar.
The UNM women's soccer team lost its fourth-straight game Saturday to the BYU Cougars, 1-0.
The Lobos' four losses have all been by one goal. It was also the second time in those four games they took a team into overtime.
The loss drops the Lobos' Mountain West Conference record to 1-4-0 and their overall record to 5-10-0. They are in sixth place in the seven-team conference, with their one win coming against last-place Air Force on Oct. 10.
Both teams had several opportunities to close the game out before the final whistle, but neither could finish their chances. The Lobos were outshot in the end, 16-10.
The Cougars finally pounced in the 93rd minute when Jaime Rendich converted a penalty kick, slipping it past Lobo goalkeeper Kristen Winters.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
It was the only shot that would get past Winters, as she had a season-high seven saves to keep the Lobos in the game.
Although the loss was disappointing, the team is still optimistic about how the conference tournament could play out, head Coach Kit Vela said.
"If we would have gone out there and played our best and lost, then we would really feel like they deserved to win," she said. "But we came out there, didn't play our best and still took them into overtime."
UNM has one more game before the MWC tournament starts Saturday at Wyoming.
UNLV is likely to get the first seed in the tournament with a conference record of 3-1-0. The Lobos lost to UNLV 2-1 on Oct. 16.
The game might have turned out differently had the Lobos not given their all in a game against the Utah Utes last Thursday, Vela said.
"We came out in the Utah game and really played to win," she said. "When we ended up coming up a little short, it took a lot out of us."
UNM ended up falling to the Utes, 2-1. Vela said the Utes have been ranked in the top 25 for most of the season.
Freshman Anna Neu scored the Lobos' lone goal 50 minutes into the match on a 20-yard blast that ricocheted into the goal past the outstretched hands of Ute goalkeeper Ashley Mason.
Utah took no time to put the pressure on the Lobos' goal when Ute forward Lauren Field scored in the 10th minute. Field came back 20 minutes later to add to her tally and crush the Lobos' hope for the upset.
Vela said although the Lobos are not where they want to be, it is only a matter of time before success becomes a reality. She said once the experience comes - the team has 23 underclassmen - Lobo fans should expect great things out of the program.
"We're young, and because of that, we aren't used to the level of play these other teams are," she said. "Every other team in our conference is led by juniors and seniors, while we have sophomores and freshman taking on some of those roles for us. But we know we are as good as these other teams, and it's not ever over until the fat lady sings."
