Sports

Sports

​Volleyball: Lobos finish weekend with 1-1 conference record

Aaron Cowan | September 24

The Lobo Women’s Volleyball team stumbled in their first Mountain West game with a loss to the Colorado State Rams, but rebounded Saturday with a victory over the Wyoming Cowgirls. The split put the New Mexico season record at 9-5 overall and 1-1 in Mountain West conference play. CSU proved to be a formidable opponent on their home court at Moby Arena in Fort Collin, Colorado, sweeping the Lobos in three straight sets 25-20, 25-18 and 25-20.

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Sports

UNM student-athletes champion earthquake relief

Robert Maler | September 24

Mexico was shaken by a major 7.1 magnitude earthquake that devastated several areas last week. Aftershocks and secondary earthquakes have continued to wreak havoc. The "NY Daily News" reported that the death toll has climbed to 324, but that number is likely to continue to increase in the coming days. Even though the earthquake occurred approximately 1,500 miles away from Albuquerque, New Mexico, it has had an impact on several former and current UNM student-athletes. Andrea Leblanc, who said she was in Mexico City at the time of the earthquake, played tennis for New Mexico for several seasons. She was not near some of the areas that were most effected, but her sister was in La Roma, which was.

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Sports

Football: Sanders and defense help NM win second game of season

Cameron Goeldner | September 23

A 53-yard field goal from Jason Sanders with time expiring and an impressive outing for the New Mexico defense allowed the Lobos to secure a close win over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, 16-13. Playing without starting quarterback Lamar Jordan, who is still injured following a vicious hit last Thursday at Boise State, and without backup Tevaka Tuioti, meant that the man running New Mexico’s offense was third-stringer Coltin Gerhart. The Lobos started out strong in the first half and wasted no time putting points on the board. They drove 79 yards down the field and Gerhart capped it off with a 19-yard touchdown run. The defense came out and showed that they were ready to play immediately and forced a turnover on downs.

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Sports

Men's Soccer: New Mexico and South Carolina draw, finish 2-2

Cameron Goeldner | September 23

The New Mexico Lobos Men’s Soccer Team played to their first draw of the season on Friday night against the South Carolina Gamecocks, as the game finished 2-2 after double overtime failed to produce a winner for either team. The result: the Lobos have a 4-3-1 record, and an 0-1-1 record in conference play, which was a bit of a let down for Lobos head coach Jeremy Fishbein. "I have mixed feelings about this one," Fishbein said in a release. "I thought it was a game we should have handled. That being said, we allowed two goals, but we showed a lot of mental fortitude to rebound and equalize in both situations. During the first half, neither team was able to break through with a goal. South Carolina came out of the gates strong, forcing two saves from Jason Beaulieu. The Lobos countered with their own opportunities on goal starting in the 29th minute, but the first half was characterized by strong defenses and the two veteran goalkeepers.

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Sports

Football: ICYMI First Quarter

Robert Maler | September 23

Unless overtime is involved, most football games are decided in four quarters. The Lobos have 12 regular season games on the schedule, and with a quarter of those already in the books, it seems like a good opportunity to take a closer look at things some may have missed along the way. Abilene Christian New Mexico won its season opener 38-14 over Abilene Christian, but many people may not realize it was the first loss dealt to first-year Wildcat head coach Adam Dorrel in quite a while. Dorrel was the previous head coach at Northwest Missouri State, a team he guided to back-to-back undefeated NCAA Division II Championship seasons in 2015 and 2016.

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Sports

Men's Soccer: South Carolina match kicks off three-day road trip

Cameron Goeldner | September 22

The University of New Mexico Men’s Soccer Team (4-3-0) will travel to South Carolina on Friday to take on the Gamecocks in the first road game of the Conference-USA slate. South Carolina is coming off of a 1-0 win over No. 13 Furman last Tuesday, handing Furman their first loss of the season. The Gamecocks are 3-3-0 and 0-2 in conference play, losing to both Marshall on the road and in overtime to FAU. They also lead the C-USA in home attendance and play their matches at a stadium unofficially known as the Graveyard, something Lobos coach Jeremy Fishbein mentioned in his press conference. “(It’s an) incredible soccer environment there: their stadium, their fans, it’s going to be fun,” Fishbein said. “We’re ready.”

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Sports

Football: New Mexico likely to have hands full as it heads to Tulsa

Robert Maler | September 20

The Lobo football might still be looking for an identity, especially on offense, as the team will prepare for perhaps its toughest test this season thus far. New Mexico (1-2, 0-1 MW) suffered a 28-14 loss to Boise State last Thursday and lost starting quarterback Lamar Jordan in the process. But the Broncos were short-handed as well, playing without their quarterback, Brett Rypien. The Lobos shut down the Broncos running attack for the most part, but head coach Bob Davie said the running attack of Tulsa will look quite different from what the Lobos saw against Boise State.

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Sports

NM State Fair gives professional cowboys chance to flaunt their skills

Sherri Barth | September 18

Professional rodeo bareback rider Tim O’Connell wants to be the best ever. “I think I’m an adrenaline junkie," O'Connell said on why he participates in rodeo competitions. "Every time I get on, it’s for a world title, every horse that I get on is another opportunity to get another gold buckle. My goal in rodeo is to be a six-time world champion.” O’Connell is the defending Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Bareback Riding Champion 2017. A native Iowan, 25-year-old O’Connell’s PRCA career earnings are a reported $771,272, according to the PRCA website. O’Connell said he’s been bareback riding since he was 18, and riding professionally since 2013. He said his whole family is involved in rodeo. O’Connell placed 2nd in Bareback Riding at the 2017 New Mexico State Fair Rodeo with earnings of $3,513.

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Sports

Men’s Soccer: Kentucky ends Lobos’ undefeated streak at home

Ajinkya Patil | September 17

The Lobos were on a four-match win streak before they faced Kentucky on Saturday in Albuquerque. But dominating possession, overall shots, shots on target, corner kick and other key areas of the match still weren’t enough to avoid the loss by a goal against the Wildcats. The Lobos played their first match of the 2017 Conference-USA schedule on Saturday, which also marked the second straight season that UNM has opened conference play against Kentucky. Starting in their usual 4-4-2 formation, UNM senior Sam Gleadle and freshman Alex Vedamanikam led the attack for the Lobos.

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Sports

Women’s Soccer: Hix scores twice as Lobos ease past Lumberjacks

Matthieu Cartron | September 17

In their first seven games of the season, including the exhibition match with CSU-Pueblo, UNM scored a combined seven goals. And in their last two games, they equaled that tally. The Lobos (5-3) beat the University of Houston (4-3-1) on Friday night in a fixture that saw both teams generate numerous opportunities. In previous games, the Lobos struggled to convert their opportunities. The Lobos were not only more clinical against Houston and NAU on Sunday afternoon — they were more ruthless. The first ten minutes of the game saw both sides create a few half-chances, but UNM snatched the momentum in the 27th minute when junior midfielder Jennifer Muñoz side-volleyed into the left corner of the goal from a UNM long throw-in.

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Sports

Football: Week 3 analysis on Lobos 28-14 loss at Boise State

Robert Maler | September 17

New Mexico football had some good things show up in the box score — more yardage, more first down, winning the time of possession battle — but lost the game and its starting quarterback on the way to a 28-14 loss. The Lobos fell behind 7-0 after an early turnover and, although they briefly tied the game in the second quarter, it felt like UNM was playing catch-up for the rest of the game following the opening drive. Head coach Bob Davie has repeatedly said how small the margin for error is for most teams, including the Lobos, to win football games. And being on the wrong end of some key plays may have been the difference on Thursday, especially after UNM lost its starting quarterback just before the half. Here is how the offense, defense and special teams fared in week three.

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Sports

Women's Volleyball: UNM Beats Youngstown, Tennessee Tech, but falls to Toledo Rockets

Aaron Cowan | September 17

The University of New Mexico's volleyball team has consistently won two out of every three tournament games every week for the past month. That trend continued at the Blue/Gold Invitational in Toledo, Ohio where the Lobos beat Youngstown State and Tennessee Tech but dropped a match to the Toledo Rockets, putting their record at 8-4 for the regular season. UNM started strong in the morning game at the Blue/Gold Invitational against Youngstown State University — a team they faced and beat just two weeks earlier — at the Glory Road Invitation in El Paso, Texas. The results were virtually identical, with UNM posting a three-set sweep against the Penguins 25-21, 25-19 and 25-18 in the Savage Arena. On offense, Mariessa Carrasco led with 10 putaways, followed by Lauren Twitty with nine kills. Victoria Spragg knocked in eight more kills, while Yasmin Tan and Ashley Kelsey each contributed six. Hailey Rubino, who had lead the team to victory two weeks earlier, was out due to injury, so Kelsey, who usually plays Libero, stepped forward into a front row role.

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Sports

Women’s Soccer: Lobos edge Houston in thriller

Matthieu Cartron | September 17

Solid at the back and exciting attacking play—but few goals, a factor that has kept the Lobos from winning more games in the early part of the season. But against Houston, the Lobos were able to convert. UNM established possession early on, and in the 13th minute, senior forward Eileen Zendejas, placed a driven shot just wide of the goal on a one vs. one with Houston junior goalkeeper Rachel Estopare. Despite the early pressure from UNM, it was Houston that struck first. A corner headed clear by the UNM defense was delivered back into the box for senior defender Margo McEntire, who flicked the ball off of the post and in.

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Sports

​Football: Lobos lose game and starting quarterback in conference opener

Robert Maler | September 14

Lobo football hung with Boise State for much of Thursday night, but had their starting quarterback knocked out of the game and couldn't overcome some mistakes in key moments. New Mexico (1-2, 0-1 MW) fumbled on its opening possession for the second game in a row after running back Richard McQuarley picked up enough yardage for a fourth down conversion, but had the ball dislodged before he was down.

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Sports

Women’s Soccer: Lobos look to build momentum at home

Matthieu Cartron | September 14

After a tough 1-0 loss to the University of Washington in overtime, the Lobos (3-3) are set to cap off their final two non-conference games at home. The Lobos battled two strong squads in the University of Portland and the University of Washington in their two most recent games. UNM assistant coach Karley Nelson reiterated her satisfaction with the results, praising the energy level and the fight the Lobos displayed against two “tournament teams.” UNM has struggled this season to convert its opportunities and make the most of its possession. The Lobos are ranked 34th in the NCAA for shots per game—shooting an average of 17 per game, three more than last season’s average. The defensive stats also bode well for UNM—only 9.3 shots allowed per game compared to last season’s 13.1. Despite the improved stats, the Lobos have only scored four goals in their last six games—eight less than what the Lobos had after their first six games of the 2016 season.

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News

Women's rugby team receives funding

Brendon Gray | September 14

The Associated Students of UNM rallied behind the women’s rugby team Wednesday and unanimously approved its more than $15,000 semester appropriation. The $15,586 given to the club will cover the price of a cross-country trek for its national tournament and other away games. The figure will be one of the largest of the semester, said Sen. Francine Briones, chair of the Finance Committee. The women’s team was approved for nearly $4,000 more than the men’s team, which received $11,800 earlier this month. “It’s good to see we have the full support of the ASUNM Senate,” said Anissia Savic, Women’s Rugby Club treasurer who presented to the Senate during the hearing.

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News

Coach Davie under investigation

Matthew Narvaiz | September 14

Lobo head coach Bob Davie is under investigation for a suspected compromised drug testing program and the mistreatment of players, according to an article posted to the New Mexico Fishbowl on Sept. 13. According to the report, an outside investigator was hired by the University to look into the allegations made against the head coach. “I can confirm there is an investigation underway in Athletics,” UNM spokesperson Cinnamon Blair said to NMFishbowl.com. “We are not going to comment on the details or the individuals involved until the investigation is complete.”

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News

WisePies Arena and University Stadium get new signs

Cameron Goeldner | September 13

For Larry Chavez, CEO of Dreamstyle Remodeling, last week was a dream come true, as the signs bearing the name of his company went up at The Pit and formerly known University Stadium. “It’s pretty incredible; when I saw the sign up at the stadium, I got goosebumps,” Chavez said. “I think it’s been told that my first job was selling sodas when I was 14-years-old at the stadium, so it’s been phenomenal. To see it on TV and read it in print, and one thing or another, it’s kind of surreal. It’s like a dream come true.” Last May, the University announced that Dreamstyle had pledged a $10 million gift as part of an agreement that both Wisepies Arena (aka The Pit) and University Stadium would be renamed after the company. There will be an initial payment of $1 million with annual payments of $900,000 through 2027.

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Sports

Men's soccer: Lobos keep winning, take down UC Irvine

Cameron Goeldner | September 11

The New Mexico Men’s Soccer Team rebounded from a slow start to come back and beat the UC Irvine Anteaters in the final game of the Grange and Ashwill Invitational on Sunday night by a score of 2-1. The Lobos started out slowly in the first half, and the Anteaters were able to capitalize on it, with a goal in the 11th minute. This was the result of some chaos in the box, as Devin Boyce blocked a shot from Mario Ortiz — but the rebound was put into the net off of a deflection by Jose Ortiz to give UCI the lead. The goal seemed to wake up the Lobos, and head coach Jeremy Fishbein made some adjustments to his team as a result.

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Sports

Football: NMSU quarterback Tyler Rogers burns Lobos in his Rio Grande Rivalry swan song

Matthew Narvaiz | September 10

Dreamstyle Stadium looked like a sea of red, as a crowd of 32,427 — mostly Lobo fans — showed up to see an in-state rivalry game that was one-sided early on but came down to the wire near the end. Unlike the Lobos first game, UNM’s student section was at near capacity and full of loud, boisterous people who seemed to desperately want to see their team avenge a 32-31 loss the Lobos suffered to the Aggies last season. However, the sea of red that the Lobos presented to the visiting Aggies in the 2017 Rio Grande Rivalry didn't seem to faze New Mexico State.