by Riley Bauling
Daily Lobo
There's nothing quite like 11 goals in two games to make you forget about an overtime loss.
The UNM men's soccer team beat up on the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Runnin' Rebels 4-0 in Las Vegas on Saturday.
The win came a week after the Lobos shellacked UNLV 7-2.
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Senior left back Matt Wootton said handing out a whooping was just what the Lobos needed after a 3-2 loss in overtime to San Jose State University on Oct. 16.
"It was kind of an eye-opener for us," he said. "It maybe was the best thing for us being highly ranked and knowing now that no team is going to let us beat them. We needed to start punishing teams, and we did. It felt good."
The No. 3-ranked Lobos notched one goal before halftime off a free kick from senior Jeff Rowland. Fresh off a hat trick in the Lobos' 7-2 win against the Runnin' Rebels, Rowland sent a 22-yard shot off the UNLV wall. The ricochet nestled itself in the back of the net past Runnin' Rebels' goalkeeper Brett Hafeman for Rowland's 12th goal of the season.
Rowland leads the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in goals scored and is now in third place all-time for the Lobos.
Rowland hadn't scored in seven games prior to his hat trick.
The offensive onslaught was a long time coming, said Lobos' head coach Jeremy Fishbein.
"It's definitely good for our confidence," Fishbein said. "It's good for Jeff Rowland to get back on track and score some goals. I'm really happy with the way the team has responded."
The Lobos scored again in the 51st minute off a Rowland pass to Cody Hanna who put the ball away from six yards out for his fourth goal of the season.
Sophomore Blake Danaher scored his first goal of the season 11 minutes later off a pass from junior Lars Loeseth.
Senior Lance Watson put the cherry on top in the 87th minute on a breakaway.
The shutout was the Lobos' ninth of the season, but Brandon Moss said the multitude of goose eggs other teams have put up against the Lobos is deceiving.
"We're still giving chances away too easily to teams," he said. "(UNM goalkeeper Mike) Graczyk is the reason we've got those shutouts."
Graczyk's ninth shutout ties him for first for shutouts in a single season.
Fishbein wouldn't give the defense a good grade on its report card just yet.
"I guess we'll see after next weekend," he said.
Center back Andrew Boyens said having the San Jose State loss on the back of their minds had the Lobos seeing red against UNLV.
"We were very up for both of those games," he said. "In a way, they were just copping the wrath of our anger. Hopefully we can keep picking ourselves for games."
Moss said there's nothing like stomping all over a team to make you forget about a loss.
"It's always nice to thump someone to get us back on our feet - just to say we have some wins in the conference," he said.
The Lobos sit in second place behind San Jose State in the MPSF at 4-1-1 with four games left in the conference. The MPSF winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
