Two Lobos earned MWC conference player of the year awards for the second year in a row.
Senior and forward Jennifer Williams and junior goalkeeper Kelli Cornell won offensive and defensive players of the year.
Williams led the conference with 12 goals and 26 points overall.
She said she couldn’t have won the award for the second consecutive year in a row if it wasn’t for her teammates.
“It means everything to me,” Williams said. “It’s a great way to end the regular season and knowing that even though I got the award, it really is a team award. I can’t do it by myself; it’s a team event and it takes all eleven players.”
Cornell was the defensive anchor as she led the MWC with eight shutouts and .73 average goals against average. The key to Cornell’s success is how hard she plays every game, Williams said.
“She plays with her heart and plays like it is her last game,” she said. “She still has one more year here. The way she plays you wouldn’t think that; you would think she’s done tomorrow.”
Also, the team won its second consecutive MWC regular-season title last weekend; and it hosts the MWC tournament this weekend.
The Lobos, seeded No. 1, had a bye until the semifinals and will face UNLV today. The Rebels shut out Boise State 2-0 on Wednesday in the first round of the tournament.
Earlier in the year UNM beat UNLV 1-0 but Williams said the Lobos are preparing for a tough game.
“They have a very good attack and their defense is very strong,” Williams said. “I would say that their midfield is probably one of the stronger ones in our conference, and they are very good technically.”
UNM faced a similar situation last year when it was the No. 1 seed in the tournament and faced UNLV in the second round, winning 2-1 in double overtime. The Lobos made it to the finals but eventually lost to BYU 2-1.
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Senior Roxie McFarland said the Lobos and the Rebels are fairly evenly matched on the field.
“We’ve performed well against UNLV — we do every year,” McFarland said. “I think their style is something we can match well.”
Up Next
Women’s Soccer vs. UNLV
Friday
3 p.m.
University Stadium
