Ruth Bruciaga scored late to lead the New Mexico women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory at Utah State in Friday's Mountain West opener. In the 76th minute, Bruciaga netted the game's lone goal off a corner kick.
The No. 7 UNM men’s soccer team will begin conference play tonight with an away match against the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Lobos (5-1-1) are the only team in Conference USA that has yet to play a conference match. The Gamecocks (4-2-1) won their C-USA opener by defeating the University of Alabama at Birmingham 1-0 last week. Before this game, South Carolina was having trouble on the defensive side, having allowed 11 goals in its previous three matches.
New Mexico men’s golf will tee off at home in the first and only regular season home tournament today. The William H. Tucker Intercollegiate event will take place Friday and Saturday at the University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course. The team has a different look after losing four seniors. While UNM might have lost a lot of leadership, the expectations remain high. The latest rankings had the lobos ranked 23rd in the country. Glen Millican, himself a UNM alumnus, has been coaching the UNM men’s golf team for 14 seasons and enjoyed much success along the way. Millican said he believes the players have strengths that will allow them to compete against any field.
No more Big Ten, ACC, Pac-12 and Big 12 teams. The New Mexico women’s soccer team can now turn its attention to the Mountain West. The Lobos (2-5) open MW play this weekend with a road trip to Utah State and Boise State after completing a schedule that includes programs from the top collegiate athletic conferences. All five UNM losses came against the so-called Power Five conferences, and three of those outings could have been Lobo victories. The losses to Texas Tech, Minnesota and Michigan State all came by 1-0 decisions, and head coach Heather Dyche’s squad actually outshot Big Ten’s Golden Gophers and Spartans two weeks ago.
A sour start to conference play leaves New Mexico searching for answers. The Lobos came into tonight’s game disgruntled about its fifth-place preseason placement, but had a rough showing against the Aztecs in the three set loss.
After a bitter ending to the Days Inn and Suites Lobo Invitational, New Mexico heads into conference play with a chip on its shoulder. In front of 3,267 fans -- the 13th largest crowd in program history -- the New Mexico volleyball team recorded a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to LSU at WisePies Arena on Saturday. However, middle blocker Skye Gullatt said her squad is ready to put the nonconference schedule on the back burner and take the Mountain West by storm.
“It’s been fast and furious so far,” said UNM men’s soccer head coach Jeremy Fishbein. The Lobos, who moved up to seventh in the polls this week, began the 2015 season with a loss against the then-ranked No. 1 UCLA Bruins. UNM went on to tie its second game 2-2 against the University of San Diego, a team ranked No. 18 at the time.
For the first time under head coach Bob Davie, New Mexico is having an identity crisis on offense. With the offensive line in a state of flux since the beginning of the season, and quarterback play being passable at best, UNM hasn’t been able to establish its triple-option offense. Instead, the Lobos have tried to throw more passes than they’re comfortable with, and the results haven’t been positive.
New Mexico forward Niko Hansen and defender Nicholas Rochowski both earned Conference USA Player of the Week awards, marking the second week this season the Lobos have taken both awards.
There wasn’t much of a rhythm to New Mexico’s offense at Arizona State on Friday. The issue was at a key position: quarterback. UNM’s Lamar Jordan and Austin Apodaca both struggled, resulting in a 34-10 loss to the Sun Devils in Tempe, Arizona. Jordan, who started the game, went just 4-11 for 22 yards. Apodaca did slightly better, going 8-18 with 89 yards and an interception. Both quarterbacks took the same number of snaps, leading the Lobos to just 295 yards of total offense.
New Mexico is looking to build exposure in addition to finding hidden talent for its newest sport. The Lobo beach volleyball program is hosting tryouts Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 for anyone who thinks they can make the cut. Head coach Jeff Nelson said he’s been approached by several individuals on campus interested in trying out. “I just think it’s time we give kids on campus a shot,” Nelson said. “There will be a three-day tryout, and we’ll just see how it goes.”
Crucial errors down the stretch hindered New Mexico’s five-set bid in the title game at the Days Inn and Suites Lobo Invitational against LSU on Saturday night. After taking the first matches against Cal State Northridge and Long Island University Brooklyn, the Lobos hit a lull for a 3-2 loss against the Tigers in the final game the squad will play this season at WisePies Arena aka The Pit.
\The No. 15 UNM men’s soccer team took down the No. 21 American University Eagles 2-1 in overtime on Sunday at the UNM Soccer Complex. With the win, the Lobos claimed the TLC Plumbing & Utility Invitational Championship. It was a good victory for the Lobos, but by no means an easy one, UNM head coach Jeremy Fishbein said.. "We were fortunate," he said.
New Mexico came out with a new rotation Friday night, giving the red-long-sleeved jersey to Ashley Kelsey in UNM’s 3-1 victory over Cal State Northridge. Kelsey, listed as an outside hitter, took over the libero duties for the first time this season after Mercedes Pacheco’s difficult tournament at the USC Classic last weekend.
The Missouri State Bears had gone 411 minutes and 26 seconds without allowing a goal. Friday night, the Lobos put a stop to that shutout streak in a 1-0 victory over Missouri State. New Mexico (4-1-1) defeated MSU (1-2-2) 1-0 with a second-half goal during their first match of the TLC Plumbing & Utility Invitational. Five minutes into the game MSU’s forward Conor Ingram took the first shot of the match.
New Mexico quarterbacks Lamar Jordan and Austin Apodaca almost played an equal amount of snaps at Arizona State on Friday. However, neither of them were able to get UNM’s offense into a rhythm in a 34-10 loss.
New Mexico will host the Days Inn and Suites Lobo Invitational for three home games, away from the team’s home court. For the first time in three years, UNM will be playing a home game at WisePies Arena aka The Pit. Although head coach Jeff Nelson said the Lobos prefer to play in the team’s home gym at Johnson Center, he doesn’t anticipate any less of an advantage despite venturing down the street. “Home is home,” Nelson said. “Home is where your fans are.”
The No. 17 UNM men’s soccer team looks to build on its three-game winning streak this weekend. The Lobos will compete at home in the TLC Plumbing & Utility Invitational. They will face the Missouri State Bears (1-1-2) on Friday and the American University Eagles (5-1-0) on Sunday.
The crowd seemed to cheer a little louder for UNM’s freshman libero Mercedes Pacheco during UNM’s home opener against Santa Clara. Looking into the crowd, an enormous group was on its feet cheering and stomping for New Mexico’s newest starter. Pacheco, born and raised in Albuquerque, chose to stay home and play volleyball at the collegiate level instead of trying her luck by playing elsewhere.
The city of Tempe, Arizona hasn’t been kind to New Mexico. In the history between UNM and Arizona State, the Lobos are 1-12-1 all-time in Tempe with that lone victory coming in 1934. If UNM is able to garner a win in Sun Devil Stadium this Friday it will be a big upset. The Sun Devils are a 28-point favorite over the visiting Lobos.
Solutions by The State News
