by Brandon Call
Daily Lobo
The UNM women's soccer team is a second-half team.
In the Lobo's home opener Friday, UNM scored two second-half goals to beat Long Island 2-0 at the UNM Soccer Complex.
The Lobos also topped Utah Valley State 3-1 on Saturday, with the game-winning goal coming in the second half.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Head coach Kit Vela said the ability to score goals in the second half is an important trait for a winning team.
"Anytime that you score a goal, that's great," she said. "But when you can do it in the second half when it really counts, that shows that a team can perform in the clutch under pressure."
Senior Anna Neu scored her first goal of the season Friday and third career goal on a corner kick from junior Hannah Hand in the 56th minute.
Hand added the insurance goal on a rebound shot from senior Amber Wetsch.
The Lobos outshot the Wolverines 36-3 on Saturday, as Hand and freshmen Kate Wyrick and Jennifer Nielsen each found the back of the net.
Vela said it was important to have four players score on the weekend.
"Every team wants a well-rounded offense," she said. "If you depend on just one player to score, if she happens to go down, you're in trouble. For us, we have a lot of weapons. We have a lot of players that can put the ball in the back of the net."
Defensively, the Lobos held the Blackbirds to just six shots. UNM's defense was even more impressive against Utah Valley State, holding the Wolverines to three shots.
Sophomore goalkeeper Kiani Wong said the defense played well in both games.
"We all came together as a team," she said. "Really, the defense is what saved us a lot of the time. We pressed hard and didn't give our opponents very many shots."
The only goal by an opponent on the weekend came when Wong fumbled a shot by Utah Valley State's Nicole Archibald,
allowing Athena Bradshaw to find the net.
Vela said it was the team's inexperience that led to the goal.
"The goal was a lack of concentration and a lack of focus based on not having any action," she said. "She's a young goalkeeper, and this is the first year that she has really played. Unfortunately, it happens. Luckily, we had the offense to make up for the
error."
However, the defense's abilities outweigh the mistakes,
Vela said.
"Our defense played pretty well on the whole," she said. "We made some youthful mistakes, and we are a little inexperienced in certain aspects. But they come back, fight hard and make up for their errors."
Women's soccer vs. Colorado
Friday, 3 p.m.
Charlottesville, Va.
