Coming off a tough overtime loss Friday night against San Jose State, the Lobos return to action Sunday afternoon to take on the Bulldogs of Fresno State. The Lobos need to get the win in this match to still have a realistic chance to win the regular season conference championship. They will need to make the most of their chances in this match and find at least one first half goal to put pressure on the Bulldogs. I believe that the Lobos will be able to control the match from the first whistle and shouldn’t have much trouble with the Bulldogs. That being said, you still have to stick to your game plan and bring your best game because you don’t know what the Bulldogs are going to bring. This will be an interesting match to see how it plays out; this will be evident when we look at the season stats for both teams.
Things To Watch:
Lobos:
- Being outscored 18 to 14
- Being outscored 11 to 6 in the first half and are outscoring opponents 12 to 8 in the second half
- Has outshot opponents 191 to 161, which is 2.1 more shots per match
- Eight Lobos have scored a goal; five Lobos have scored multiple goals
- Lobos are 1-2-0 at home during Mountain West conference games, while 3-0-1 on the road
Bulldogs:
- Being outscored 33 to 13
- Being outscored 22 to 6 in the first half and 11 to 7 in the second half
- Have been outshot 238 to 157, which is 5.8 less shots per match
- Seven Bulldogs have scored a goal; two Bulldogs have scored multiple goals
- Bulldogs have had three goalkeepers play over 200 minutes this season
- Bulldogs are 1-2-0 in conference road games, while 2-1-0 at home
Players To Watch:
Lobos:
The Lobo that I will be watching to see how she does this match is Madisyn Olguin, the Lobos leading goal scorer with 3 goals. She needs to take the opportunities that she is presented in this match and score at least one goal. I think that Olguin will step up this match and being a constant threat, putting the Bulldogs backline in difficult situations. The Lobos’s attack will have plenty of chances, so it is important to keep the pressure on the Bulldogs and don’t let up.
Bulldogs:
The Bulldogs player that I will be watching, and I am sure is in the Lobos game plan to stop, is sophomore midfielder/forward Myra Delgadillo. Her four goals and two assists lead the Bulldogs in both stats. If the Bulldogs want to have any chance to win this match, Delgadillo has to be great and make the most of the chances that she has. Expect the Lobos to try to make other Bulldogs beat them and to try to take Delgadillo completely out of this match.
Prediction:
The Bulldogs aren’t as bad as some of their stats make them look, as much like the Lobos they have played some elite teams in the country, being out scored 12-0 in their two matches in North Carolina to begin the year. That being said, I feel very confident in this match and I would be surprised if the Lobos don’t win this match. I put the odds of the Lobos winning this match at 65% and ending this match in at least a draw at 90%. I predict 3-1 Lobos win with not much doubt in who will win at any point in the match.
Game Info:
What: New Mexico (6-7-1, 4-2-1) vs. Fresno State (4-9-1, 3-3-1)
Where: UNM Soccer Complex, Albuquerque, NM
When: Sunday October 18 at 1 PM MT
Stream: LoboTV