The Lobos, fresh off a 3-0 win against San Jose State, completed their homestand with a 5-2 win against the Nevada Wolf Pack on Sunday. New Mexico powered forward for 5 goals in the second half to overcome a 2-0 deficit and remain unbeaten in Mountain West play.
The Wolf Pack struck first, taking advantage of Lobo goalkeeper Alyson Campbell’s aggressive play to draw her to the top of the 18-yard box, leaving the net empty and Nevada forward Leslie Jacobo Duran found the back bottom right corner of the goal to give Nevada a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute.
The Lobos had a chance to tie the game with a free kick from just outside the box after Nevada midfielder Reika Yuba earned a yellow card. Lobo forward Presley Devey took the free kick, but it was saved by Nevada goalkeeper Mia Collins.
The Wolf Pack promptly extended their lead, as Yuba found midfielder Olivia Loomis open on the far left side of the 18-yard box, and Loomis drilled the ball past a diving Campbell for a goal to make it 2-0 Wolf Pack in the 30th minute.
Nevada controlled the game for the next 15 minutes and rode the 2-0 lead into halftime.
The Lobos did not start the second half nearly as sluggishly as the first half. After a Lobo free kick, the ball made its way to New Mexico defender Allie Anderson, who found fellow defender Fiona Jenkins in the 6-yard box for a goal that made it past Collins to get the Lobos on the board in the 47th minute and make it a 2-1 game.
“I really just do it for my teammates. I think to be able to [get the team on the board] just meant everything to me,” Jenkins said after the game.
The Lobos remained aggressive offensively as Devey had a great run with the ball, getting her a one-on-one matchup with the keeper and Devey won that matchup getting the ball by Collins and into the back of the net to tie the game 2-2 in the 57th minute.
“Speed is not usually my forte. I would say, you know, ‘keep your head down.’ You see the open corner, and you just place it there. There's no power, just placement.“ Devey said.
The aggressive offense for New Mexico persisted and led to forward Nicole Anderson being fouled by Nevada defender Emily Brashear for a penalty kick that Anderson, the Lobos leading goal-scorer took, but it was saved by Collins and the game stayed tied.
The tie did not last long; shortly after, Collins fouled Anderson in the 18-yard box. This time Devey took the penalty, and hit the ball hard on the ground by a diving Collins to find the bottom right corner of the net and gave the Lobos a 3-2 lead in the 62nd minute, allowing Devey a brace.
“The pressure of it all is a privilege — we're down 2-1 and I need to put one away and not stop,” Devey said.
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This was not the last penalty taken by New Mexico as Nevada forward Charlotte Bonney fouled Jenkins in the box and Jenkins, taking the penalty for herself, extended the Lobo lead to 4-2 in the 68th minute as she drilled the ball over the head and out of Collins’ reach to the top right corner, giving Jenkins a second brace for the Lobos.
The Lobo offense wasn’t done tacking on though as Jenkins found the head of forward Claire Roybal on a corner kick to launch the ball into the vacated right side of the goal for a 5-2 Lobos lead as Jenkins added an assist to her brace in the 84th minute.
The Lobos coasted with this lead for the final minutes and won the game 5-2. This was a physical and offensive game as both teams combined for 6 yellow cards, 20 fouls and 7 goals. It was also the first time multiple players scored several goals since these two teams met in 2024.
The Lobos will continue conference play on the road as they head to Phoenix, Ariz., to play Grand Canyon University on Saturday, Oct. 3.
“To be 2-0 in conference play and head on the road to GCU, I think is great momentum and we’ll look to carry that and go 1-0 against GCU” Head Coach Karley Nelson said.
Marley Herndon is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @DailyLobo
