Redshirt senior forward Madisyn Olguin netted an unassisted goal early in the second half against NMSU to lead the New Mexico women's soccer team to its first victory of the season.
It takes time to instill a physical mentality. It’s something New Mexico’s defensive coordinator has been working on. Kevin Cosgrove, who is in his second year at UNM, said one of his goals was to get the Lobos to play a more physical style of football. So far, the team has shown a more aggressive attitude with Cosgrove at the helm.
The New Mexico men’s soccer team will travel to California this weekend to open up its regular season against one of the toughest competition in the country: UCLA. The Bruins are ranked No. 1 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America preseason poll.
This is no ordinary season-opening tournament for head coach Jeff Nelson and his New Mexico volleyball squad. UNM will compete in three games in Muncie, Indiana during the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge. Not only will Nelson face off against some of his former coaching staff, but UNM may be able to award its head coach with his 400th career win -- and on a national stage, no less.
Bob Davie has always spoken about how vital walk-ons are to New Mexico’s program. On Tuesday the head coach awarded scholarships to redshirt juniors and former walk-ons John Russo and Michael Walsh, both of whom are Albuquerque natives.
The passing game is starting to look like the real deal for New Mexico. After three years of not being a threat in the air, the Lobos showed off their new aerial attack in their third and final scrimmage of fall camp. Both the quarterbacks and the receivers made several plays throughout the scrimmage, including a couple of nice plays by sophomore wide out Delane Hart-Johnson.
There's no tougher way to start the season than what the New Mexico women’s soccer team experienced at the Lobo Invitational this past weekend. The Lobos faced two top-15 teams, including No. 1 in the nation, at their season-opening classic in Florida State and Texas Tech. The Lobos dropped both games, 3-1 on Friday night to the defending national champion Seminoles, and 1-0 Sunday to the No. 15 Red Raiders.
The New Mexico Soccer Tournament Complex in Bernalillo witnessed plenty of action throughout the Rio Rapids Open on Saturday and Sunday. Youth teams affiliated with the Colorado Rapids from New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and Colorado made the trek to the biggest soccer complex in the Albuquerque area. The preseason tourney showcased players ranging from U-9 through U-14 for both boys and girls. More than 125 teams across four age classes competed in a minimum of three games for a chance to take home some hardware.
For a moment in the second half, the Lobos were within one goal of the best team in the country. Thirty seconds later, No. 1 Florida State took it away. Claire Lynch’s goal on Florida State midway through the second half electrified the crowd and gave New Mexico a spark, but the Seminoles’ strong offense struck back leading to a 3-1 win in the Lobo Invitational.
New Mexico will play like a team with something to prove this year. Despite limping to the finish line with multiple injuries last year, the Lobos finished among the top four teams in the conference. This year: UNM has been picked to finish fifth. “We have three all-conference players, the most players returning, and two kids on the preseason (All-Mountain West) team,” head coach Jeff Nelson said. “We’re going to play with a big chip on our shoulders and make them play like they’ve got something to prove.”
In sports, it is almost guaranteed that not everything is going to go as planned. On New Mexico’s Fan Appreciation Night, it was hard to tell what the plan was amidst Silver’s 2-1 victory over the Cherry team during Thursday night’s intrasquad volleyball scrimmage. Before the match, Nelson said he was going to give fans a glimpse at what his starting rotation could potentially look like.
It’s simply a coincidence that Heather Dyche will face her alma mater in her first regular-season coaching outing for the UNM women’s soccer team. The game was also scheduled prior to Florida State’s 2014 national championship victory and its No. 1 preseason ranking. With that in mind, Dyche said she and the Lobos expect a tough game Friday night when the Lobos host the top-ranked Seminoles in the 2015 Lobo Invitational at the UNM Soccer Complex. The game begins at 7:30 p.m. following the 5 p.m. match between USC and Texas Tech.
New Mexico wanted a shutout after its first exhibition game, in which the Lobos allowed a goal 22 seconds before the final whistle was blown. The Lobos got their shutout on Wednesday night against the Grand Canyon University Antelopes, winning 3-0 in their last home preseason match.
For nearly 10 years the Lobos have geared up against former UNM volleyball athletes to start the season. For the first time since 2006, though, New Mexico fans will not get to see an exhibition match against the Lobo alumnae. However, head coach Jeff Nelson said UNM fans will be in for a treat this evening during Fan Appreciation Night, with first serve scheduled for 6:30 p.m. He said the free-admission event will showcase some talented play in the intrasquad match, followed by post-game autographs from the 2015 roster.
An ideal physical specimen Jake Rothschiller is not. However, being one of the shortest safeties for New Mexico hasn’t stopped the 5-foot-7 Rothschiller from getting plenty of reps in during this fall camp.
The Lobos will continue its preseason action Wednesday when they face Grand Canyon University for their second and last home exhibition of the year. GCU is trying to become a top-notch soccer school. Not only is Grand Canyon getting a brand new soccer stadium this year, they also just hired a new coach with a wealth of experience. Schellas Hyndman was the head coach for FC Dallas, a Major League Soccer team, from 2008-13. In 2010, Dallas made it to the MLS Cup Final, and Hyndman was named Coach of the Year.
The UNM women’s soccer team was dull to start its exhibition Monday night at the UNM Soccer Complex, but the Lobos hit their stride as the game progressed and took a 3-1 win over Fort Lewis. The Lobos controlled the ball for much of the first half, keeping the ball in their offensive end for large periods of time.
New Mexico’s three starting spots for outside hitter are up for grabs. Head volleyball coach Jeff Nelson said junior Cassie House is the front-runner to fill Chantale Riddle’s big shoes on the right side. However, Nelson said nothing is set in stone, and each of the five outside hitters has a real shot at claiming the position. House, along with fellow juniors Julia Warren and Devanne Sours, is a returning starter from last year’s big hitting position. While Warren switched to libero mid-season, where she earned first team All-Conference honors, she will likely return to her natural position above the net.
The UNM men’s soccer team kicked off the 2015 fall sports season with a 2-1 win over Air Force during an exhibition game Saturday. Light rain was frequent, and a 42-minute lightning delay interrupted the first half of the match. However, unpleasant weather was not enough to stop the 1,180 fans who came to support their team. “That was awesome,” head coach Jeremy Fishbein said. “People are behind this team, and you can feel their energy.”
Women’s soccer looks forward to strong season behind returning starters While the New Mexico women’s soccer team features a brand new coaching staff, the Lobos have plenty of experience returning for the upcoming campaign. The team will bring back 10 of its 11 starters from a roster that finished third in the Mountain West Conference. Three of those players — redshirt senior goalie Cassie Ulrich, senior midfielder Dylann O’Connor and redshirt sophomore defender Emily Chavez — earned all-conference recognition a year ago.
Solutions by The State News
