by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
Finally, the offense showed a sign of life.
The No. 3 UNM men's soccer team improved to 1-1-1 after its 3-0 victory over the University of Michigan on Sunday in Ann Arbor, Mich.
After failing to score in the first two games, including a 1-0 loss to Michigan State on Friday, the Lobo offense rebounded by getting off 12 shots and scoring three goals in its first win of the season.
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UNM head coach Jeremy Fishbein said the win should help push the team in the right direction for the rest of the season.
"We needed to get that under our belts," Fishbein said in a phone interview. "I think as a team, we're not happy with the results of the first two games, and as long as we can use it as a learning experience, it will prove to be an important start to the season."
Junior David Gualdarama and sophomores Chris Wright and Brandon Barklage provided the offense for the Lobos, each scoring a goal Sunday. Fishbein said the offensive showing against Michigan can help bring poise to the players.
"It definitely gives us some confidence," he said. "We didn't score goals in the first two games, and we had three great goals today. It was important for the three guys that scored. It was important for their confidence."
Fishbein said the Lobos were much more aggressive against Michigan. The 12 shots UNM had in the game were a season high and a result of solid team play, Fishbein said.
UNM's offense got off to a quick start, scoring the first goal less than two minutes into the game. Senior Lars Loeseth took a corner kick that Wright headed in at the 1:58 mark to give UNM its first lead of the season.
Gualdarama put UNM ahead 2-0 off an assist from freshman Stephen Brown in the 30th minute. Barklage scored the final goal of the game in the 44th minute.
While the offense was the focal point of the game after UNM was shut out in its first two games, the defense played solidly as well. Lobo goalkeeper Mike Graczyk recorded his second shutout of the season and has only been scored on once in three games this season.
Fishbein said he's happy with the defensive effort so far this season.
"Graczyk's playing well," he said. "Our defense is playing well. That's a credit to our team and what we're definitely capable of."
Graczyk said he gives credit to the players around him.
"I think the defense is playing really well," he said in a phone interview. "We're working together and making it hard for offenses to score."
UNM played Saturday without starters Blake Danaher and Jack Smithson, who were both forced to sit because of red cards. However, the rest of the players proved they are capable of filling any holes.
"We have a lot of depth and a lot of good players," Fishbein said. "It's not going to be any one or two players that are going to win games. We're going to win games as a collective unit."
Graczyk said the win could give the Lobos momentum for the rest of the season.
"It wasn't like we were playing bad," he said. "We just weren't finishing games. It feels good to go in there and beat a quality team."
