New Mexico 3, Nevada 2 (Match Report)

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – It will certainly go down as one of the weirder games in Lobo history, as New Mexico dominated from the start as UNM overcame a pair of odd goals to remain in a first place tie with a 3-2 win before 734 fans at the UNM Soccer Complex.

 

The Lobos, now with a 5-1 in the Mountain West and tied with San Diego State, dominated throughout the game with another strong offensive performance, including 18 shots in total and 11 of those being shots on goal.

 

In total, the Lobos scored five times, just a pair went the wrong way.  The first of those opened the scoring at the 3:29 mark when a long throw-in by Danielle Green was sent into the box.  Liz Nare of the Lobos outjumped Lindsey Salcido for the ball and the ball went off her head towards the Lobo net, vacated by keeper Cassie Ulrich who came out the challenge.  The ball was heading in, and a last ditch effort by Elba Holguin to save it was just not in enough time, making it 1-0.

 

The Lobos responded with a goal just 1:04 later, as Dylann O’Connor picked up a ball around 40 yards out and hit a perfect diagonal pass to a streaking Ruth Bruciaga, who buried it short-side past Kelsey Quintos for a  1-1 tie.

 

UNM kept it up, pouring on the pressure and was rewarded when, with less than ten minutes remaining in the first half, Maddie Irwin headed in a pass from Lindsey Guice to put UNM up 2-1 at the break.

 

Dylann O’Connor added what at the time seemed like an insurance goal as UNM strung together a run of passes, moving the ball about 90 yards on four connectors, ending with O’Connor’s one-touch on a break for a 3-1 lead.

 

To that point, and to the 76^th minute, Nevada had no shots, but their only ones came from a play that would end up as another bizarre goal on the evening.  On a corner, Chrisalyn Fonte flicked a shot that caught keeper Ulrich moving one way, and looked like a sure goal, but Alyssa Coonrod made an acrobatic play to knock the ball off the goal line.  It rolled to Brianna Webster, who turned to fire it out of harm’s way.  Instead, it got fired into the leg of Fonte.

 

The ball pinged off of Fonte, and somehow it managed to richochet either off her, possibly off another defender, or possibly move like a magic bullet.  Either way, it somehow ended up in the net, making it 3-2.  The goal was originally ruled for Fonte, then changed to an own goal, but on Saturday morning after talking with several players and looking at a fourth alternate angle, the goal was officially switched back and credited to Fonte.

 

UNM successfully maintained much of the possession and ran out the clock for the 3-2 win.

 

New Mexico will host the UNLV Rebels on Sunday, October 20 at 1:00 p.m. at the UNM Soccer Complex.

                                              

 SCORING SUMMARY:                         

1.       3:29 NEV Own Goal (Danielle Green throw-in headed backwards into UNM net by defender)

2.       4:33 NM Ruth Bruciaga (1) (Dylann O’Connor)

3.       34:11 NM Maddie Irwin (1) (Lindsey Guice)

4.       69:05 NM Dylann O’Connor (4) (Ruth Bruciaga, Elba Holguin)

5.       76:02 NEV Chrisalyn Fonte (2) (Unassisted)

 

 Shots: Nevada 2, New Mexico 18

 Saves: Nevada 8 (Kelsey Quintos 8), New Mexico 1 (Cassie Ulrich 0, Team 1)

 

Lineups

New Mexico Starters: Ulrich (GK), O’Connor, Guice, Viola, Bruciaga, Leyba, Nare, Holguin, Bri. Webster, Ellison, Espinoza.

First Half Subs: Irwin (17:48), Olguin (31:42)                                                

Second Half Subs: Trujillo (67:33), Coonrod (74:07)

Nevada Starters: Quintos (GK), Fricke, Green, Deronde, Davison, Jones-Oglesby, Salcido, Fonte, Bosson, Disarufino, Reilly

First Half Subs: Morning (14:09), Lorenzen (38:14), Saxton (41:40)

Second Half Subs: Khademi (45:00), Caporicci (45:00), Dominguea (76:27)            

 

Quotes from Kit Vela:

Opening statement

It was great to be home again. I just think we had some nerves in the opening minutes. We hit some long balls and we just got caught off guard on that long throw and gave up sort of a bad goal. But I love the energy coming back. The first goal was outstanding by Ruth and the build-up to second goal was amazing. And we created a few more opportunities that would have been nice just to sort of give us a little more confidence, but unfortunately, we couldn't quite find the back of the net. And I thought we did well in the second half. Another good goal and I thought we did well in keeping possession and finding our width. And then we give up another goal off of a set piece so I wasn't very happy about either, nor were the girls. Some of the details we have to keep cleaning up.

               

On the depth

We're deep and it makes a big difference. I could have put several other girls on, but I try to kill the rhythm too much and keep the rhythm when it's good chemistry. We have great depth.

 

On Maddie Irwin

She's a tremendous young freshman with so much upside and she's really just starting to feel her abilities. So we're just really happy with her and really proud of the progress she's made in such a short time.

               

Notes

*There was an own goal in a Lobo contest for the second time in three games.  UNM’s first goal against Wyoming was an own goal as a ball was cleared by Wyoming into its own net.

* Maddie Irwin’s goal was the first of her career, and she is now the 10^th different Lobo to score this year.

*Guice picked up her first career assist.

 

Next Up                                              

New Mexico will host the UNLV Rebels on Sunday, October 20 at 1:00 p.m. at the UNM Soccer Complex.