Head coach Jeremy Fishbein said he wanted a shutout on Saturday. He got it.
But he wasn’t exactly thrilled at the end of the game.
The Lobos needed extra time to claim their 1-0 victory over the UCCS Mountain Lions. The winning goal came from forward Niko Hansen in overtime, his seventh this season.
Fishbein said there were several positives during the game, including Hansen’s goal, but overall he wasn’t too pleased with what he saw.
“I thought we were too casual going into the game,” Fishbein said. “We had an arrogance about us, which was the wrong kind of arrogance. If you are that good, then you bring the energy and you punish teams. We didn’t do it.”
The Lobos saw a few opportunities throughout the match but they were not able to finish them.
Less than 15 minutes in, Aaron Herrera sent a header just slightly wide on the right side. Not long after, Gabriel Camera attempted a shot that also fell short of the target.
Camera had another close attempt in the 27’ minute but his shot was once again too wide.
In the 65’ minute, midfielder Chris Wehan took a promising free kick from 30 yards out. The ball went over the wall of defenders but it also went slightly too high and missed the net.
With about five minutes remaining in regulation time, Wehan sent to ball to Hansen at the halfway line. Although Hansen’s shot was on target, the ball went straight to the keeper’s hands.
“We thought the game was going to come easy. That team had everything to win, nothing to lose. They played extremely well,” Fishbein said. “The longer they can stay in it, a team like that, they are going to get chances.”
Although Fishbein said a lot of the chances which the Mountain Lions created were not dangerous, the Lobo defense still stayed on their toes.
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Two freshmen goalkeepers shared the net for this match. Ford Parker took the first half and Andy Rios took the second.
Fishbein said he thought the young keepers still have room for improvement in a few areas, but overall he was pleased with that portion of the game.
The coach said a win is always good, especially when it’s a shutout at home, but he hopes the team doesn’t settle easily and sees this game as a learning experience. Next time, the team will have to score sooner.
“We had quality chances. Didn’t finish. It’s a good thing that we got the result,” he said. “We showed something at the end but we have to learn from this.”
With this win, the Lobos are now 6-0-1 and need to survive just one more game to remain undefeated this spring.
The Lobos will travel to Highlands Ranch next weekend to battle the Denver Pioneers.
Hansen says his team is excited for this opponent and hopes to finish the season on a high note.
“That’s what we always say, ‘We are going to be undefeated.’ But It’s not going to be an easy one, of course,” Hansen said. “That’s a great team. We have a good relationship with those guys. I think it’s going to be a good game and I think we’ll hopefully get the undefeated season. “
Isabel Gonzalez is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @cisabelg.
