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A near-constant first-half attack led to a high-scoring output in the New Mexico men’s soccer season opener, propelling the Lobo men to a 7-2 victory over Villanova Friday night at the UNM Soccer Complex.
The Lobos found the net four times in the first half, and two goals came off James Rogers’ boot. The junior forward recorded the game’s first score at the 21 minute, 17 second mark. He added another goal at 38:42 on an unassisted play.
Senior midfielder Michael Calderon’s successful penalty kick and junior defender Riley McGovern’s goal off a Calderon assist accounted for UNM’s other two goals in the campaign’s opening half.
Along with Rogers, Calderon and freshman midfielder Niko Hansen also posted two goals apiece.
“We were good today on the ball,” UNM head coach Jeremy Fishbein said. “The guys made good decisions. The passing, the interchange, I was real happy with that.”
Benefitting a corner kick bouncing off a Villanova defender, Rogers scored the first goal from roughly 16 yards out. Moments after Rogers netted his first goal, Villanova freshman forward Padraic McCullaugh answered back 23 second later with a header off an assist by junior defender Matt Wiltse.
Calderon’s penalty kick at the 30-minute mark then kicked off a rally that resulted in three scores occurring within a nine-minute span. McGovern’s goal, also off a corner kick, came via a header just inside the Villanova box, while Rogers rebounded his own shot attempt on his second score.
UNM’s attack overwhelmed Villanova in the first half as the Lobos fired 17 shots and attempted nine corner kicks. The Wildcats took three shots in the half.
“We came out very composed because in the past we had worked on defense,” Rogers said. “We haven’t really scored a lot of goals (in the preseason), so it was really good to see how everyone showed up to play.”
UNM added one goal early in the second half by Hansen and two goals late from Calderon and Hansen. Chris Hill had Villanova’s final goal.
For the game, UNM had 21 shots on goal to Villanova’s 6. TThough the Wildcats did not attempt many shots, Lobo goalkeeper Michael Lisch made one save.
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No. 1 North Carolina women 2, UNM 1
At the North Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill, N.C., the Lobos held a 1-0 halftime lead over UNC, the country’s top-ranked women’s team and the defending national champion. The Tar Heels, however, scored two goals in the second half to hand the LobosUNM their season’s second loss on the season.1
Dylann O’Connor scored an unassisted goal at the 9:24 mark of the first half when the Lobo sophomore gained control of the ball from a North Carolina defender from 18 yards out and fired at shot past goalkeeper Anna Sieloff and into the far corner.
The Tar Heels (3-0-0) had not given up a goal this season until that point.
UNM (1-2-0) maintained that lead until Tar Heel Crystal Dunn scored the equalizer at 58:01. Keali Ohai and Meg Morris were credited with assists on the play. Nine minutes later Caroline Lindquist had the deciding goal off assists by Hanna Gardner and Katie Brown.
North Carolina outshot UNM by a 21-3 margin. The Lobos took only one shot in the second half while the Tar Heels had 14 in the latter 45 minutes.
UNM keeper Cassie Ulrich made seven saves in the loss. Sieloff and Bryane Heaberlin split time in net for UNC, each playing a half and making one save apiece.
The game was UNM’s first against a No. 1-ranked foe.
The Lobos continue play in the classic Sunday with a game against No. 12 Duke. The game begins at 10 a.m. Mountain Time.
