New Mexico –2 Florida International-1 (OT) (Full Match Report)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  – The University of New Mexico Lobos (7-3-2) were looking to accomplish a pair of feats with a victory on Saturday evening versus Florida International (5-6-0). New Mexico’s 2-1 victory over the Panthers in overtime kept the Lobos undefeated (3-0-1) in conference play while snapping a home field drought.

New Mexico was the first team to find the scoreboard when Christopher Wehan scored his first career goal. The redshirt freshman scored after teammate Niko Hansen forced a turnover outside of the FIU box and fed Wehan for the score.

New Mexico went into halftime with the one-goal advantage with a five-shot advantage over the Panthers. The Lobo defense limited FIU to just two shots in the first 45 minutes of action with neither shot being on goal.

However, the complexion of the game changed less than two minutes into the second half when Florida International equalized the match with a Quentin Albrecht goal off a rebound from a Roberto Alterio shot.

Regulation would end 38 minutes later without a goal. After surrendering a goal just two minutes into the second half, New Mexico put away a golden goal with just two minutes left in overtime.

Kyle Venter tracked down a high cross from Ben McKendry and headed the ball into the middle of a crowded box. Forward James Rogers beat the traffic to the ball and buried the game-winning goal from point-blank range in the 99^th minute.

Scoring Summary

New Mexico (20:42) Christopher Wehan (Niko Hansen assist)

Florida International (46:55) Quention Albrecht (Roberto Alterio assist)

New Mexico (98:48) James Rogers (Kyle Venter, Ben McKendry assist)

Lineups

New Mexico: Lisch (GK), Gibbons, Venter, Gurule, Fisher, Kafari, McKendry, Calderon, Wehan, Rogers and Hansen

First Half Subs: Hansen (18:15), McGovern (21:19) and Wypych (35:10)

Second Half Subs: Dye (63:40)

Quotable

“Tonight was a good win. We didn’t make it easy on ourselves. It was a game we needed to put away in the first half because we were very, very good... We should have taken two or three of those chances. One missed tackle and we lost a mark on the far post three minutes into the second half and then it was a game.” – Head Coach Jeremy Fishbein

“That’s going to be our challenge down the stretch. If you let games go to overtime, you’re not going to win them all. When you get chances, you have to take them.” – Head Coach Jeremy Fishbein

“It was a ball from Niko, and it opened up. Their left back was out of position. I took a good first touch with my left foot and just buried it.” – Christopher Wehan on his first career goal

Notes

• Christopher Wehan’s goal was the first in his New Mexico career. It came in his eleventh collegiate match.
• The win pushed UNM’s Conference USA record to 3-0-1. The victory, coupled with UAB loss to Old Dominion, puts the Lobos is first place in the conference.
• The first-half goal against the Panthers marked the first time in the last six matches the Lobos have scored a goal in the first half at home.
• Saturday evening’s victory snapped a four-match home winless streak for New Mexico.
• With Wehan’s goal, seven different Lobos have found the back of the net in 2013.

Next Up

Coach Fishbein and the Lobos will slow it down in their conference schedule as they begin playing one match per week. New Mexico will host Florida Atlantic at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 19 at the UNM Soccer Complex.