The Lobos (7-6-1, 1-3-1) have their final Conference USA road match of the season when they take on UAB (6-6-3, 2-3-1) in a huge conference match tonight. With the disappointing draw against Marshall on Saturday, the Lobos need a result to help cement their spot in the conference tournament. The Lobos have to find a way to rebound from their recent struggles. While the Lobos haven’t played bad this season, they have been unable to finish off big matches, mainly due to struggling in the final third of the field. With there being questions about Niko Hansen’s availability, the Lobos will need for other attacking players to step up. If the Lobos are able to win this match against UAB, it will give them pretty stable position for the conference tournament with two home matches remaining before the conference tournament field is set.
UAB Blazers:
| Blazers | Opponents | |
| Goals | 15 (5 1st Half, 10 2nd Half) | 15 (5 1st Half, 10 2nd Half) |
| Goals Per Game | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Shots On Goal | 68-157 (.433) | 77-188 (.410) |
| Shots Per Game | 10.5 | 12.5 |
| Assists | 8 | 8 |
| Corner Kicks | 56 | 87 |
- The Blazers have struggled away from home, much like the Lobos this season, but they have been a completely different side at home. That’s not great news for the Lobos, as they are playing this match at UAB.
- The Blazers have struggled to score at a great clip this season, which comes at a perfect time for the Lobos defense, which has had some questions the last 4 matches.
- The Blazers have had a good defense this season, allowing more than 1 goal in only two matches. On top of that, 5 of the 15 goals they have given up came in their last match against Charlotte.
- The Blazers are led in scoring by Massimo Ferrin and Henrique Sposito, who have each scored three goals and have an assist.
- Joe Kuzminsky has started and played all but 28:38 in goal for the Blazers and has a very good .84 Goals Against Average.
UNM Lobos:
| Lobos | Opponents | |
| Goals | 21 (5 1st Half, 16 2nd Half) | 13 (4 1st Half, 9 2nd Half) |
| Goals Per Game | 1.50 | .93 |
| Shots On Goal | 95-209 (.455) | 58-127 (.457) |
| Shots Per Game | 14.9 | 9.1 |
| Assists | 15 | 5 |
| Corner Kicks | 101 | 59 |
- After starting the season 7-3-0, the Lobos are currently on a four-match winless streak, with the one result coming in the disappointing draw against Marshall. The Lobos looked certain to make the NCAA Tournament two weeks ago, now it is very much in question.
- The Lobo backline needs to get on the same page. After not allowing two goals in any of the first ten matches of the season, the Lobos have allowed 2 goals in each of the last four matches. If the Lobos want to make noise during these last few weeks of the season, they need their defense to be great.
- Niko Hansen has been the offensive force for the Lobos this season, but he missed the match against Marshall with a hamstring injury. It could be risky to rush Hansen back, but I don’t know if the Lobos have much of a choice.
- Matt Dorsey was awesome off the bench for the Lobos in the match against Marshall, including scoring his first goal in a Lobo uniform. Dorsey made the most of his opportunity on Saturday and I expect we will see more of him in this match.
Tournament’s Breakdown:
The Lobos are in a tough position for both the Conference USA and NCAA Tournament, as neither are guaranteed at this point. The Lobos right now are tied for 7th place in the conference, with the top 7 teams advancing to the conference tournament. In order to make the conference tournament, the Lobos need to get at least 6 points. If they manage to advance to the conference tournament, the Lobos need to know that they can’t leave their fate for the NCAA Tournament up to the selection committee and make at least the semi-finals. I do think the Lobos would be a safe bet for the NCAA Tournament if they can get to 11 wins, and while it is extremely unlikely for a National Seed now, if they can win out and win the conference tournament, a top 16 seed wouldn’t be out of the question.
Match Prediction:
This is an extremely interesting match for the Lobos, as it could be the tipping point of the season. A win could propel them to a great stretch run or a loss could end this season without much of a fight. I trust the coaching staff and players to regroup and come out with great purpose and come out with the huge road win. I give the Lobos a 37% chance for the win and a 67% chance to come home with a result. I predict a 1-0 Lobo win with Chris Wehan getting the game-winner. This should be a fun match to watch and set up a great last home stand for the Lobos to end the regular season.
Game Info:
Who: New Mexico Lobos (7-6-1, 1-3-1) at UAB (6-6-3, 2-3-1)
When: Wednesday, October 26th, 2016, 6 PM M.T.
Where: BBVA Compass Field, Birmingham, Alabama
Stream: uabsports.com