The UNM men’s soccer team got back on the pitch on Saturday to kick off its 2017 spring season.
Unfortunately for the Lobos, the result was not what they were looking for, as they ended up falling 2-1 in overtime to the Southern Methodist Mustangs in Dallas, Texas.
The Mustangs were the first team on the board, finding the back of the net halfway through the first period. New Mexico was unable to get a goal of their own by halftime, at which point Southern Methodist enjoyed a 1-0 lead.
But the Lobos kept on trying and their efforts eventually paid off. 15 minutes into the second period, freshman midfielder Noah Bushey found the perfect spot from the right side of the box, and was able to send the ball straight into the top left corner of his opponents’ net.
Fans did not see much of Bushey during the fall season, but although he didn’t get minutes, the Colorado native doesn’t lack experience. Prior to joining UNM, Bushey was captain for his Olympic Development Program team in 2012, as well as captain for the Colorado Rush Academy team.
No more goals were seen in regulation time from either team, resulting in overtime period play. The match remained at a 1-1 stalemate until about seven minutes in.
A long ball from the SMU goalkeeper reached a player who went 1-on-1 with UNM’s 6-foot-2-inch keeper, Ford Parker. The battle resulted in the ball going into the bottom-left corner of the Lobo net, which turned into the winning goal for the Mustangs.
The Lobos get a chance to bounce back next Saturday as they hit the road for their second spring match. This time they are taking on Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona.
Isabel Gonzalez is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. She mainly covers men’s soccer and basketball. She can be reached at sports @dailylobo.com or on Twitter @cisabelg.
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