Sports

Sports

Football: Bearkat aerial not enough as Lobos hang on to win opener

Robert Maler | August 31

The University of New Mexico football team withstood a late rally to hold off Sam Houston State in its season opener on Saturday evening — leaving Dreamstyle Stadium with a 39-31 victory. Sam Houston State racked up over 550 yards of total offense — including 443 through the air — but fell short of pulling off an improbable comeback after the defense came up with a stop late in the game. The school traded punts on its opening possessions, but the Lobos got the offense going and made up for lost time — amassing 195 yards on the way to scoring 13 points in the opening quarter. New Mexico scored the first points of the season off the foot of Andrew Shelley when he booted through a 44-yard field goal on the team’s second possession. Lobo running back Ahmari Davis helped set things up after he leaked out of the backfield and caught a pass from starting quarterback Brandt Hughes, weaving his way in and out of traffic for a gain of 51 yards. UNM got into scoring range shortly thereafter when Sam Houston State was flagged for pass interference and Shelley later delivered for an early 3-0 lead.

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Sports

Lobo soccer overcomes Texas Tech on single penalty kick

Alanie Rael | August 26

Lobo and Red Raider fans alike flocked to the University of New Mexico soccer stadium on Sunday evening to watch University of New Mexico women’s soccer team beat Texas Tech in their first game of the season The win for the Lobos was taken with fierce pride. This was the first win they’ve had against Tech in ten years. “For tonight, I’m damn proud of it,” Lobo head coach, Heather Dyche said. “That team was very, very good and for me. I’m from here, so this place should be great.” Coming into the first half, the competition was stiff. With defensive back and forth on both sides, the half looked to be uneventful up until the final seconds. 

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Sports

Women's Soccer: Looking ahead to Texas Tech

Alanie Rael | August 22

As the fall season for UNM Athletics approaches, the women’s soccer team is preparing to take on their long-time rivals, the Texas Tech Red Raiders. After losing to Tech nearly a year ago, the team is ready for redemption against the Lubbock team. Saturday kicked off exhibition play for the Lobos as they took on Colorado School of Mines. The match gave the team a chance to get exposure to another team after two weeks of scrimmaging in practice. UNM kept the energy high throughout the match, pushing their defensive limits and keeping the ball away from the goal. Lobo forward Leilani Baker stole the show, assisting in Cami Floth’s first goal and kicking in the last goal of the match.

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Sports

Soccer: United falls 3-2 on road to Portland

Alanie Rael | August 13

Albuquerque’s home soccer team, New Mexico United, competed against the Portland Timbers 2 on Sunday evening in Oregon, unable to prevail and ultimately losing their three-game winning streak. Portland kicked off the night with a goal in the third minute of the game from a forward for the Timbers, Foster Langsdorf.

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Sports

Track & Field: 'Remarkable' is the expectation at UNM

Robert Maler | August 11

As students and faculty prepare for the fall semester to begin, a lot of people might be unaware of the heights the University of New Mexico track and field team climbed to during the break. A group of women — Adva Cohen, Weini Kelati, Ednah Kurgat and Charlotte Prouse combined forces at the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships to tally a school-record 27 points. The performances were enough to notch a top-10 finish overall.

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News

UNM Athletics: No media deal sealed, yet

Justin Garcia | August 6

The University of New Mexico is one step closer to replacing its $4.4 million media-rights contract to broadcast games and images. However, the contracts value and when it can be signed remain unclear.  On Tuesday, the Board of Regents Finances and Facilities Committee approved an agreement between the University and Outfront Media Sports, Inc to hold the Athletics Department’s media rights . However, F&F committee chair Sandra Begay said the contract may have to be voted on by the full Board next month.  According to UNM Athletics Director Eddie Nuñez, the details of the contract are still being drafted. If the contract was not written up before the August 13 meeting, Begay and Nuñez said it would likely be voted on during the September 17 meeting. Nuñez said that UNM may end up using a temporary “bridge” contract while the Outfront deal is finalized and approved, but he declined to give specific details about what that might look like. 

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Sports

Meow Wolf Night at Isotpoes Park

Luisa Pennington | July 29

New Mexico United and Meow Wolf are taking their relationship to another level. The first-year soccer club will host "Meow Wolf Night" in collaboration with the Santa Fe-based art collective on August 3 at Isotopes Park. The event, a fusion of sport and art declared as unprecedented by club president and CEO Peter Trevisani, will kick off at 7:30 p.m. “We knew from the beginning that bringing together art and soccer specific stadium sport in this way was uncharted territory, but now we are putting it into practice and laying a roadmap for other teams to follow,”  Trevisani said in a press release. “Fans will have so much to take in on this night, it will be a truly unique experience.”

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Sports

Soccer: Saving soccer no longer his fight, Fishbein thankful and ready to move on

Robert Maler | July 15

Husband. Father. Coach. Jeremy Fishbein has worn a lot of hats in lifetime. And while he will likely continue doing so, the cherry Lobo lid that he wore so prominently on game day and media day as the University of New Mexico men's soccer coach probably won't be one of them. His tenure came to an end without much fanfare. No apparent press release from the university or its athletic department thanking him or recognizing the program for its accomplishments on the way out.

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Sports

Soccer: NMU standings fall after loss

Robert Maler | July 8

New Mexico United continued to struggle in regular season play as the team dropped another tight contest on Saturday evening. United is now winless in its last five matches when it hasn't competed in the 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup — the most recent defeat, a 1-0 loss to Real Monarchs. Saturday's match saw both squads encounter early scoring chances in the first half, though neither were able to convert. New Mexico missed a good opportunity in the opening minutes, but goalkeeper Cody Mizell was able to patrol the net and keep things scoreless after 45 minutes of play.

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Sports

MMA: Holm goes down; Jones retains title at UFC 239

Robert Maler | July 8

Two fighters with New Mexico ties entered the octagon at UFC 239 with aspirations of emerging with a championship belt around their waist. Jon "Bones" Jones successfully defended his Light Heavyweight Championship by earning a split decision over Thiago Santos, but Holly Holm fell short and was knocked out by defending champ Amanda Nunes in the Women's Bantamweight Championship bout. The main card was an historic one.

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Sports

Sports cuts a done deal

Robert Maler | June 30

The proposed cuts that were voted on by the University of New Mexico Board of Regents last year may have been the biggest sports story of the year in Albuquerque in 2018. Some members of the community were outraged by the decision to eliminate the four sports, questioning the fairness involved in forcing current student-athletes to make a sacrifice for problems they played no part in creating.

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Sports

NM upset highlight of fight

Robert Maler | June 30

Fans who are looking forward to UFC 239 were able to satisfy their palate with a touch of UFC Fight Night on Saturday while they continue to wait for next weekend's action. Tyron Woodley and Robbie Lawler were supposed to face one another, but a hand injury to Woodley caused that matchup to be cancelled. It opened the door for a co-main event — though many probably felt the final card between Francis Ngannou and Junior dos Santos failed to live up to expectations.

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Sports

Soccer: NM United loses soundly, drops out of first place

Robert Maler | June 17

New Mexico United notched a huge win in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup over a Major League Soccer opponent on Wednesday, but was unable to carry that momentum onto the pitch against Las Vegas Lights FC. United bested the Colorado Rapids after scoring in extra time to tie the match and eventually winning on penalty kicks, but had no such luck on Saturday evening . Las Vegas won in a one-sided affair, as New Mexico was unable to keep pace with the Lights after the scoring began.

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Sports

Track and Field: Women's team competes at NCAA Champions

Robert Maler | June 9

University of New Mexico runners have accomplished a lot over the past several years — two NCAA Championships over a three year stretch in cross country and multiple individual championships in track and field over that time frame as well. But a quartet of women raised the bar even higher for UNM as most competed in multiple events at the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

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Sports

Soccer: NM United shut out 3-0 in first home loss

Robert Maler | June 9

Isotopes Park, also known as "The Lab", had been kind to the New Mexico United club — so kind, in fact, that the squad entered Saturday's match undefeated on its home pitch. But perfection isn't usually a sustainable model, and that unbeaten streak finally came to an end. United suffered its first home loss ever, which was also its first shutout loss of the season — falling 3-0 to Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday evening.

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Sports

Men's Basketball: Mathis heading west to play for Oregon Ducks

Robert Maler | June 6

Former University of New Mexico men's basketball player Anthony Mathis recently announced he had entered the NCAA transfer portal. He didn't stay there for very long. Multiple reports have confirmed that Mathis has given a verbal commitment and apparently found a new basketball home — his old one.

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Sports

Soccer: NM United and OKC Energy FC play to a 1-1 draw in Pride on the Pitch match

Robert Maler | June 5

New Mexico United remained undefeated at home, running its record on the season to 6-1-7 overall after playing OKC Energy FC to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday evening in its "Pride on the Pitch" match at Isotopes Park. The team announced an attendance of 13,574 for the mid-week fixture as fans filed into the stadium to venue to celebrate . Prior to the match, it was announced that the first 5,000 fans would receive a limited-edition New Mexico United rainbow flag.

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Sports

Soccer: NM United collects win over Switchbacks; earns date with MLS squad

Alanie Rael | June 4

The excitement around New Mexico United soccer continued last Wednesday as United took on the Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.  In the first half of the match, the game appeared to be uneventful as hopeful attempts from both teams were blocked and recovered by the dedicated goal keepers. At the end of the first, there were no goals scored.  Things began to pick up at the beginning of the second half. After an assist from Jordan Schweitzer, The Switchbacks scored the first goal of the night from Colorado Springs captain, Jordan Burt. 

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Sports

Track and Field: UNM remains Top-10 in NCAA Division I

Robert Maler | June 3

The University of New Mexico remained in the top-10 of the NCAA Division I Women's Outdoor Track and Field national rankings in the latest poll. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's week 9 National Track & Field Rating Index dropped New Mexico to No. 7 overall in the standings, though it remains the highest-ranked school in the Mountain Region. New Mexico's distance runners have been turning in consistent performances throughout the season, and advanced four competitors to nationals after qualifying in the NCAA West Preliminary in Sacramento, California last weekend.

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News

UNM Baseball mourns Jackson Weller's death

Cameron Goeldner and Justin Garcia | May 6

“Jackson Weller was one of the classiest kids I’ve ever coached,” Lobo Baseball Head Coach Ray Birmingham said as he held back tears. “This was the first time in 42 years I’ve lost one of the players on my watch.” Birmingham, Athletics Director Eddie Nuñez and outfielder Brayden Merritt spoke with members of the media about Weller, who was shot and killed outside of a Nob Hill nightclub early Saturday morning.  During the press conference, Birmingham and Merritt reflected on how Weller came to play for the Lobos and what he meant to the team, despite never throwing a pitch in a series game.