In League with the Ivy

The UNM men’s soccer team outplayed — but didn’t outscore — another top-10 opponent at the UNM Soccer Complex on Sunday.

In a hard-fought, scoreless match against No. 6 Harvard, the Lobos tied the Crimson, 0-0, in overtime.
“It’s disappointing to let something like that slip away,” head coach Jeremy Fishbein said. “Anytime you create those opportunities, you’re doing something right. On that end, I am really proud of my team.”

UNM controlled much of Sunday’s game but never gained a lead.
Midfielder Lance Rozeboom almost gave UNM the advantage, but a long-distance shot sailed over Harvard’s crossbar.

UNM continued to press Harvard, as the Crimson contended with excessive heat and the high altitude.

The Lobos’ breakthrough goal appeared to come when Ryan Farquharson beat the Crimson’s goalkeeper Austin Harms to a cross and headed the ball into the back of the net, but the referee called it back because of a foul on Harms.

“That’s a tough one,” Fishbein said. “Any time there is a big collision and the keeper goes down, that’s
often how it’s going to go.”

The Lobos’ high-pressure attack forced Harms into six saves in the second half, and the Lobos outshot the Crimson 11-1.
The referees handed out two yellow cards in overtime — one to each team — UNM’s stemming from an altercation in the box that
resulted in both teams having to hold back their players.

With two minutes left in overtime, the Lobos appeared to have put the ball in the back of the net again, as a free kick from midfielder Michael Reed zoomed wide of the near post and into the side netting.

“We just came out not wanting to lose or tie. We wanted to win,” forward Devon Sandoval said.
“Unfortunately we didn’t, but we came out 100 times better in the first half, and we had our chances. We just didn’t put them away.”
So far this season, UNM has played five of its six games against top-25 nationally ranked opponents and are 2-1-2 record against them, with both draws coming against the No. 5 and No. 6 teams in the country.

Sandoval said the ties might have impacted the Lobos’ chances of getting ranked.
“To be honest, I feel like all of these teams that are ranked are getting way more credit than they should,”
Sandoval said. “We want to play the top teams in the nation, so it’s good from that aspect.”