by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
It took a last-minute goal, but the UNM men's soccer team is moving on in the NCAA
Tournament.
Lobo freshman Stephen Brown scored the lone goal of UNM's 1-0 win at San Francisco with 18 seconds left in the game Friday, leading the Lobos to a second round contest at California.
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Although the game was a nail-biter, UNM head coach Jeremy Fishbein said he was happy with how the team played.
"Our guys just showed a lot of confidence," he said during a phone interview. "I'm real proud of our guys. We played very well."
The UNM defense recorded its 11th shutout of the season with
the win.
Goalkeeper Mike Graczyk said the team was ready for postseason play, even though it has only two seniors.
"I think it showed a lot of maturity for a very young team to be able to pull out a victory like that," he said during a phone interview. "I think it was great for our team, great for our program. It speaks a lot about the young guys we have on this team."
Brown scored his fourth goal of the season when he knocked in a corner kick from junior Joey Vitagliano just before the end of
regulation.
Fishbein said he's impressed with how Brown has played despite not having a defined role.
"Stephen Brown is a great player," he said. "He's been put into not the ideal situation. He's so good at a number of positions. We've moved him around quite a bit. He hasn't been able to just settle into one role, but he's just playing with such confidence."
Brown's clutch goal was another example of how prepared each player on the team is,
Graczyk said.
"He's been great for us this year. He's stepped up big when we needed him at times," he said. "All of our young guys this year have stepped in and played great. It's a testament to the maturity that our young players have."
Now that they have played one NCAA Tournament game this season, the Lobos should have a better idea of what to expect in
Wednesday's game, Fishbein said.
"We'll go into Wednesday's game much more relaxed," he said.
With the defense playing so well, UNM does not have to rely on a lot of offense. Fishbein said if the backline continues to play like it has, it will be a big asset in the postseason.
"We're playing well as a defense," he said. "We just got to keep up the intensity."
Whether or not the offense has a great game, the defense is capable of keeping UNM in any contest, Graczyk said.
"That's the hope," he said. "I have the confidence that I'm playing behind the best back four in the country right now. I think going into every game, that's something that's going to be our anchor."
