by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
The UNM men's soccer team will return to action Saturday, traveling to play the University of Portland.
The Lobos are coming off a season in which they advanced to the finals of the College Cup, where they lost 1-0 to the University of Maryland.
Head coach Jeremy Fishbein said it's a relief to finally get his team back in a real game.
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"We've been training, and the guys are itching to play," Fishbein said. "We're real excited, and we're playing a quality team, but we feel we're pretty well-prepared at this point in the season."
Last season, Portland struggled to a 6-11-2 record after advancing to the NCAA Tournament the four years prior to that. By comparison, the Lobos finished with an 18-2-3 record in 2005.
However, one area where Portland will not be lacking is experience. The team is returning eight of 11 starters from last year, and Fishbein said Portland should be a tough test for the Lobos.
UNM goalkeeper Mike Graczyk said the contest against Portland should show the Lobos where they stand this season.
"Portland has always been kind of a powerhouse team," Graczyk said. "They've always been a tough team, and it's going to be a good test for us."
The last time UNM played Portland was Nov. 23, 2004, in the NCAA Tournament. It was the first time UNM played against the Pilots, and the Lobos won 4-1.
Only three players on this year's roster - senior Andrew Boyens and juniors Blake Danaher and David Gualdarama - were around for that game.
Fishbein said the last meeting will have no bearing Saturday.
"It was two years ago," Fishbein said. "I don't think it's any real factor. It's a quality team at home playing with a lot of pride, so it's going to be a tough game."
For Saturday's game, the Lobos will be without highly touted freshman Michael Reed. Fishbein said Reed hurt his meniscus and will not be traveling with the team to Portland. Fishbein said he does not know the extent of the injury. Doctors will find out more Monday, he said.
Although Reed's debut will be delayed, Fishbein said the rest of the team has played well in practice so far.
"Everybody's looking sharp, rested and ready to go," Fishbein said.
Graczyk said he's confident with the way the players have performed, and he and the rest of the defense have been clicking.
"These past couple weeks of practice have been really good," Graczyk said. "The defense has been really solid. With Andrew Boyens back anchoring the defense and the rest of those guys, the defense should be really good."
Heading into the game against Portland, UNM has won 14 straight nonconference games. Fishbein said the team seems to perform well against nonconference foes. However, he said playing Portland will not be an easy victory.
"Our guys are a confident bunch, but we'll see on game day," Fishbein said. "We just know it will be a good team with a lot of pride, so it will be a fun match."
Graczyk said the team needs to limit its errors in order to have a good shot at defeating Portland.
"It's going to take us playing our game," he said. "It's going to take us reducing turnovers and reducing mistakes."
After weeks of hard work and preparation, Graczyk said he's just happy to see some playing time again.
"I think we're ready to go," he said. "We're ready to start up again and get out there on the field."
BOX
Men's soccer at the University of Portland
Saturday, 8:00 p.m.
Portland, Ore.
