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UNM men’s soccer player James Rogers didn’t expect to wait 30 extra minutes before his 2012 debut against University of Alabama-Birmingham on Friday.
Officials called a 30-minute lightning delay before the start of the contest, but it was worth the wait; in his first game back, he played 76 minutes, shot five times with three shots on goal and scored in the 79th minute against the Blazers to essentially end the game.
The goal came after junior Michael Calderon sent a shot flying from the edge of the box to the goal. UAB goalie Raphael Ville deflected the ball straight to Rogers for his first goal of the season, putting the Lobos 2-0 over the Blazers. UNM went on to win 2-0 over UAB.
For Rogers it was more than a goal. It signaled his return to action from a three-game NCAA suspension resulting from last season’s 16-game College Cup Round against the University of South Florida.
The Lobos lost to the Bulls in a shootout, and after the contest Rogers knocked over an official while being restrained and earned a red card for “assault on a referee,” resulting in a three-game suspension for the start of this season.
The 5-foot 8-inch Rogers said he’s just happy to be back on the team and playing soccer again.
“It felt really good to be back with my teammates. It’s been a long time that I’ve been waiting for this occasion to come,” Rogers said.
UNM head coach Jeremy Fishbein said he’s seen a change in Rogers’ attitude since last season’s incident.
“James showed some maturity. He’s a much more mature player than he was last year,” Fishbein said after Friday’s win. “I think he’s gotten a better handle on his emotions, and he’s not trying to do it all by himself. I thought when we played him underneath, he was very good; he’s just a handful because he’s so explosive.”
Rogers said he thought his performance was decent and that he could use a couple more matches to shake off the rust.
“I think it was all right, but I think the team gave me a boost, and it helped me to just play calm,” Rogers said. “I didn’t have to do anything. All I had to do was relax. It was simple. It’s my first game back, so I just have to get a feel of the game.”
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Fishbein has said repeatedly that Rogers is one of the hardest players to handle on the team, and Rogers said he knows that when he gets the ball, he can score at any time.
“I’m a type of player that wants to take on people and create something. I don’t want to make things simple. I want to make something happen,” Rogers said. “That’s the type of player I am, and I’m always hungry to do something, but my teammates encourage me to do all these things, so it’s good to know they always have my back.”
