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The UNM men’s soccer team heads back to Albuquerque to play its first home game of the season after a five-game road trip.
The No. 8 ranked Lobos will take on the No. 25 ranked University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) Blazers (2-1-1) today at the UNM Soccer Complex.
The Lobos recently dropped in the NSCAA Coaches poll after losing to Tulsa University 2-1 in overtime on Friday, but UNM bounced back to defeat No. 20 ranked SMU 3-1 on Sunday.
Head coach Jeremy Fishbein said the loss to the Golden Hurricane is only a minor setback.
“It was an eye-opener,” Fishbein said. “I don’t think it’s a completely bad thing, and it was inevitable — you know you’re going to lose at some point, and you’d rather lose now than in the NCAA tournament. It’s a proud team that expects to win every time we step on the field.”
As the Lobos prepare to face the Blazers, Fishbein said their attention remains on self-improvement.
“There’s no rest for the weary,” he said. “We set out to play a great nonconference schedule and we’re going to get it. We’re a big game for them, but our focus is on us right now. Our offense is clicking and we’re becoming more and more cohesive.”
During the game against SMU, senior goalkeeper Victor Rodriguez returned from a two-game suspension levied by the NCAA. Today, UNM welcomes back sophomore James Rogers, who is returning from a three-game NCAA suspension. Rogers amassed two goals and five assists for the Lobos last season.
“I expect to get in a rhythm of the game because I haven’t played in a while,” Rogers said. “I just need to play simple and play as a part of the team. The team has played well, so I just want to come in and fill it out.”
Fishbein believes Rogers can add another dimension to an already potent offense.
“He’s going to give us a boost and I’m excited to be at home and play in front of our home crowd,” he said. “I think James will have a big impact. We have a good attacking team right now, but James brings a little bit different pace, a little bit different direction than anybody we have. He’s a hard guy to stay with.”
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UAB enters the match with offensive threat senior Kofi Gyawu, who has totaled three goals and one assist in the first four games of the season. But UNM’s goalkeeper coach Savva Biller said that the Blazers do not pose a threat to the Lobos.
“I don’t have any concerns with any offense, to tell you the truth,” Biller said. “From a defensive plan, I think we are strong. I’m not worried about anybody we play. If we do our job, I don’t think anybody can beat us.”
UNM fans recorded the No. 3 ranked men’s college soccer attendance in 2011, according to the NCAA. New Mexico also tallied a 10-0 record at home last season. Rodriguez said the first home game brings plenty of enthusiasm to the players and coaches.
“Everyone is excited; we’ve been waiting for this. We have one of the best crowds in the nation. Any time we can play in front of them, it’s a lot of excitement. We want to go out there and give them a good game. We want to let them know we have a strong team this year.”
Men’s Soccer vs. UAB
Today
7 p.m.
Soccer Complex
