This weekend is a boom or bust.
The UNM men’s soccer team welcomed two more top-25 teams to the UNM Soccer Complex this weekend. UNM starts off with No. 20 Georgetown Friday and then finishes against No. 16 Portland on Sunday.
“Our guys are healthy. They are battling. We have great leadership, and it’s been a positive so far,” head coach Jeremy Fishbein said. “If we do what we are capable of doing and we take our chances and we don’t hurt ourselves, we’re going to beat any team in the country.”
The Hoyas beat Northeastern 2-1 in overtime and demolished a strong Michigan State squad, 4-0. Georgetown is led by head coach Brian Wiese, who is originally from Albuquerqu,e leads Georgetown, who is originally from Albuquerque. Fifth-year senior and midfielder Seth C’deBaca is also from the Duke City and attended Sandia Prep before shipping off to Georgetown.
Naturally, though, Portland, which beat UNM 2-1 in overtime in the first round of last year’s NCAA tournament, will be the Lobos’ most interesting matchup.
For a majority of the game, the Lobos held the Pilots without a single shot on goal and dominated the game, but in the 84th minute midfielder Collen Warner got a shot off and Portland eventually won in overtime.
Rozeboom said the Lobos have since dwelled on missed opportunities, chiefly the fact that UNM outshot the Pilots 21-10.
“That was the worst loss of my career,” he said. “Everyone wants to come out and win both games this weekend, but I think that loss last year to Portland will give us even more incentive to win on Sunday.”
But Fishbein said UNM isn’t — or rather shouldn’t be— looking for revenge Sunday and instead should be focused on Georgetown.
“You know, I have not really looked at Portland,” Fishbein said. “They are another top -20 team, and it just keeps coming, and our focus is on Georgetown, but more importantly it’s on us. Thursday we are going to start preparing for what Georgetown brings to the table.”
One of the big factors is that the Lobos the two games this weekend in Albuquerque and.
So far, Fishbein said, fans’ support has been off the scales, and he hopes it continues this weekend.
“That’s really where our guys get a lot of their energy,” he said. “Our guys feel a big obligation to represent the city, the state and the University.”
And hopefully, Rozeboom said, the Lobos won’t disappoint.
“We are in a conference where there are not too many ranked teams, so we need to take advantage when we get the opportunity to play some,” he said.
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