Sept. 2, 2012

Final Stats

Complete Stat Packet 

Austin, Texas --- Trailing for nearly the entire game, sixth-year senior Jordan Craig put the Lobos on her back and carried them across the finish line. Craig scored the game-tying goal with just 36 seconds left, and then slotted home the game-winner with 3:29 gone in the second overtime as New Mexico won its second straight game, defeating the University of Texas 2-1 in double overtime.

The win followed an offensive explosion two days previous when the Lobos defeated SMU for the first time in school history, that a 4-1 win in which Craig also had a goal, giving her a solid three-goal weekend. Suddenly the Lobos, who scored just one goal in the first four games of the season, have seven on the year, and they are 2-3-1 on the season.

The win is the second straight over Texas, both of those in Austin, but this one was most improbable, as recent history was not on UNM's side. Texas got on the board early, scoring just 9:35 into the game when Sharis Lachappelle headed home a free kick from Kristin Cummins for a quick 1-0 lead, a lead that Texas nursed for nearly the rest of the game.

With UNM down 1-0 at the half, history was not on its side. The Lobos were 0-21-5 when trailing at half dating back to the 2004 season, but apparently none of that would matter on this day. It was a bit of unconventional thinking by head coach Kit Vela that led to the tying goal. With just 1:47 left, UNM substituted rookie Cassie Hanson for Alexis Layba, a move which chewed up a few valuable seconds. With under a minute to go, UNM earned a corner kick, and Rachel Montoya's ball found Hanson.

Her header was on target, but stopped by a diving Ava Vogel. Craig however, provided trash collecting duties, rocketing the rebound home with 36 seconds left for a tie, sending the game to overtime. After surviving some heavy Texas pressure in the first OT, senior Liz Nare placed a perfect through ball to Craig, who used her speed to get free. She then placed a perfect shot into the far corner for a 2-1 double-overtime win.

The win marked the first time that the Lobos had come back from a halftime deficit since recovering from a 1-0 halftime deficit against Portland State for a 2-1 win on September 3, 2004.

The Lobos were outshot by Texas 14-10, but UNM put four on net to just three for the Longhorns. There were 11 corners of the game, six for Texas, and five for UNM, none more important than the last one of the second half. The Longhorns, who have faced four NCAA teams from a year ago, are now 2-4-0. UNM's win over Texas marks the first of three straight against NCAA Tournament teams. UNM faces off with Georgia and Florida next weekend, both games on the road.

NOTES: The assists by both Hanson and Nare were their first career assists ... UNM played its first overtime game of the season. UNM's game with TCU had the overtime scrapped due to lightning ... UNM was 0-2-4 in overtime last season ... it was UNM's first road OT win since October 22, 2010, a 1-0 win at Air Force ... UNM hasn't lost a road overtime game since the 2007 season opener 2-1 to No. 21 Oklahoma State, and it hasn't lost a road overtime game to an unranked team since October 13, 2006, losing 1-0 to UNLV ... Jordan Craig now has three goals on just 11 shots, and only seven on net ... Kelli Cornell moved up to fifth on the career minutes played list at UNM ... Craig moved into a tie for 8th place in career game-winning goals with four.