The Lobos (8-6-1, 2-3-1) return to the friendly confines of the UNM Soccer Complex for their last two matches of the Conference USA schedule. The Lobos are coming off a very important road win at UAB that has opened many possibilities for seeding in the conference tournament. It starts Sunday night against second-place South Carolina (9-5-1, 4-1-1). If the Lobos are able to win this match, it gives them the possibility to move all the way up to the number 2 seed. This is such a huge match for the Lobos, where a win would seal their bid to the conference tournament and gives them a good shot of making the NCAA Tournament.
South Carolina:
| South Carolina | Opponents | |
| Goals | 24 (5 1st Half, 17 2nd Half) | 16 (7 1st Half, 9 2nd Half) |
| Goals Per Game | 1.6 | 1.07 |
| Shots On Goal | 85-201 (.423) | 68-169 (.402) |
| Shots Per Game | 13.4 | 11.3 |
| Assists | 20 | 9 |
| Corner Kicks | 69 | 66 |
- South Carolina is led by their star player Danny Deakin, who is their leader in both goals (7) and assists (5). It will be very important for the Lobos to limit Deakin’s touches in dangerous spaces. If the Lobos are able to do that, it could be tough for South Carolina to score at all.
- William Pyle is the main goalkeeper for South Carolina and has been solid with a .83 Goals Against Average and 4 shutouts.
- South Carolina has actually been better on the road this year, with a very good 3-1-1 road record compared to their 6-4-0 record at home. They will not be scared coming into Albuquerque, but something to watch is how much of an effect does the altitude have on their players in the second half.
UNM Lobos:
| Lobos | Opponents | |
| Goals | 22 (5 1st Half, 17 2nd Half) | 13 (4 1st Half, 9 2nd Half) |
| Goals Per Game | 1.47 | .87 |
| Shots On Goal | 102-222 (.464) | 63-141 (.447) |
| Shots Per Game | 14.7 | 9.4 |
| Assists | 15 | 7 |
| Corner Kicks | 105 | 64 |
- The Lobos were able to get the very important win on the road at UAB and now have two home matches with a chance to get to 4-3-1 in conference play. A win tonight and another against ODU would put the Lobos at 10-6-1 on the season, which would still give them a chance at a national seed if they are able to win the conference tournament.
- Niko Hansen was back in action against UAB and that is very important for the Lobos. Hansen has been the bulk of the Lobos’ attack this season with 9 goals.
- Devin Boyce has played well lately and was rewarded with the lone goal against UAB. Boyce has seen his role expand and has been starting lately. He has a chance to be a difference maker for the Lobos during the stretch run.
- Jason Beaulieu was fantastic against UAB to earn his fifth shutout of the season. He now has a .77 Goal Against Average.
Conference Standings:
| Conference Record | Conference Points | Overall Record | |
| Charlotte | 6-1-0 | 18 | 11-2-1 |
| South Carolina | 4-1-1 | 13 | 9-5-1 |
| FIU | 4-2-1 | 13 | 7-6-2 |
| Kentucky | 4-2-0 | 12 | 10-3-2 |
| UNM | 2-3-1 | 7 | 8-6-1 |
| UAB | 2-4-1 | 7 | 6-7-3 |
| FAU | 2-5-0 | 6 | 4-9-1 |
| Marshall | 1-4-1 | 4 | 6-9-1 |
| ODU | 1-4-1 | 4 | 4-7-2 |
- Charlotte would clinch the regular season conference title with a Lobo win tonight. Either way, they will finish their slate at South Carolina.
- UNM has tie-breakers against FIU and UAB, while Kentucky and FAU have tie breakers against the Lobos.
- Top seven teams make the tournament with the top seed getting a bye into the semifinals.
What’s at Stake:
This match has a lot at stake for both sides, such as:
- A South Carolina win would make their match against Charlotte a regular season championship, and would come with the first round-bye.
- A Lobo win would inch their way closer to a NCAA Tournament bid and pretty much seal their bid to the conference tournament.
- A Lobo loss would still leave their standing for a NCAA Tournament bid in question and shut the door on any chance of a national seed.
Match Prediction:
This is a great matchup between two talented teams that are still playing for very important things this season. Because of that, this is a match that will be decided by what the star players are able to do for each team. I give the Lobos a 35% chance at the win and a 67% chance of getting a result in this match. I have the Lobos winning a very exciting 2-1 match with Hansen and Wehan providing the scoring for the Lobos.
Game Info:
Who: New Mexico Lobos (8-6-1, 2-3-1) vs South Carolina (9-5-1, 4-1-1)
When: Sunday, October 30th, 2016, 6 PM M.T.
Where: UNM Soccer Complex, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Stream: LoboTV