by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
In perhaps the most physical game of the season, the UNM men's soccer team knocked off defending national champion UC-Santa Barbara 2-1 on Sunday at the UNM Soccer Complex.
Things got heated as the clock was winding down and a fight between the teams broke out in the final minute.
Lobo forward Chris Wright said the win over the No. 9 Gauchos could be a launching point for UNM, which improved to 3-3 after the win.
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"We've been trying to get over that hump, but I think a big win like this is going to help push us there," he said. "We really came out today and gave it everything we had. The boys showed a lot
of heart."
With the score tied at one, UNM's Diego Barrera headed the ball past UC-Santa Barbara goalkeeper Bryant Rueckner, giving the Lobos the deciding goal. Joey Vitagliano sent a cross from the right side to earn the assist.
Barrera said the Lobos did a good job of being patient the entire game and took advantage of the late opportunity.
"We came into this game knowing that it's a physical battle," he said. "We didn't panic. We focused for 90 minutes, and we got
the win."
There was rough play throughout most of Sunday's game, leading to the scuffle.
With less than a minute remaining, UNM's Justin Davis got tangled up with a Gaucho player, leading to multiple players from both teams getting into shoving matches with punches thrown. Players and coaches had to be restrained before the final 38 seconds of the game were concluded.
Wright said he expected a lot of intensity from UC-Santa Barbara but was disappointed with how the Gaucho players handled the end of the game.
"It was a bit unfortunate to see that lack of sportsmanship at the end of the game after a very hard-fought and fair contest," he said. "There's no excuse to show that little class and that little respect for the game."
Wright was one of the catalysts for UNM in the win Sunday as he scored on a Stephen Brown assist at the 8:39 mark.
UC-Santa Barbara evened the score in the 29th minute when Chris Pontius scored on a header.
However, the UNM defense held tight the rest of the way, limiting the Gaucho offensive attack.
Lobo goalkeeper Mike Graczyk, who recorded four saves on Sunday, said the win will help bring the team together the rest of the season.
"We're definitely a close team," he said. "It's just a matter of when the wins were going to come for us, and hopefully we can rally
around this."
It was a relieving win for UNM, which fell 1-0 to No. 24 Washington on Friday at the UNM Soccer Complex.
Even though the Lobos' record is 3-3, head coach Jeremy Fishbein said UNM can beat anyone when it plays, and Sunday was the best example so far this
season.
"We expected to win," he said. "It validated how good we tell the guys they are. It's a great win, but it's not a surprise. I expect every time we step on the field to win. We feel we're better than the teams we've played."
Men's soccer at Cal-State Northridge
Thursday, 5 p.m.
Northridge, Calif.
