Women’s Soccer vs Colorado College Match Preview

by Zach

The Lobos (4-2-2) open their Mountain West Conference schedule this weekend with matches against two Colorado Springs teams. First, they will take on Colorado College (4-4-0) tonight in Albuquerque. The Lobos look to continue their six-match unbeaten streak, and they have a good shot at doing so. The Lobos should be able to control play against Colorado College, but it will be important for the Lobos to find a first half goal to put the Tigers on the ropes. If they are able to find a first half goal, I could see it getting ugly in the second half. To do so, the Lobos will need to apply pressure throughout the course of the match, much like they did against NMSU last weekend. I like the Lobos in this conference opener, which is a match that they can’t drop if they want to win the regular season championship.

Colorado College Stats:

  Colorado College Opponents
Goals 10 (6 1st Half, 4 2nd Half) 11 (2 1st Half, 9 2nd Half)
Goals Per Game 1.25 1.38
Shots On Goal 39-93 (.419) 43-101 (.426)
Shots Per Game 11.6 12.6
Assists 6 4
Corner Kicks 26 34
  • Colorado College is led by Clara Richter, who has scored 5 goals so far this season.
  • Colorado College has played two goalies so far this season, who have a combined 1.36 Goals Against Average.
  • Colorado College has been a much better first half than second half team so far this season, so if the Lobos are able to get to the half tied or ahead, they should be able to dominate the second half of the match.

Lobo Stats:

  New Mexico Opponents
Goals 14 (4 1st Half, 10 2nd Half) 9 (3 1st Half, 6 2nd Half)
Goals Per Game 1.75 1.13
Shots On Goal 69-141 (.489) 45-87 (.517)
Shots Per Game 17.6 10.9
Assists 6 2
Corner Kicks 42 24
  • Maddie Irwin (4 goals) and Claire Lynch (3 goals) have scored half of the Lobo goals so far this season. Look for the Lobos to try and put Irwin and Lynch in spots where they can be dangerous in this match.
  • Tayler Hammack and the Lobo defense are starting to get in sync, leading to Hammack’s 1.09 Goals Against Average.
  • The Lobos have played well in both halves this season, but have been unable to find consistent first half goals. I see this as an area of focus and the Lobos will start finding more first half goals.

Current MW Standings:

  1. UNLV 7-2-0
  2. AFA 4-2-1
  3. FSU 5-3-0
  4. UNM 4-2-2
  5. SJSU 3-2-3
  6. WYO 4-3-1
  7. CC 4-4-0
  8. USU 4-4-0
  9. NEV 3-4-0
  10. CSU 2-5-1
  11. SDSU 2-5-0
  12. BSU 1-7-1

I.B. Luc Pre-Conference Predictions

  1. UNM
  2. UNLV
  3. FSU
  4. SJSU
  5. AFA
  6. WYO
  7. USU
  8. SDSU
  9. CC
  10. NEV
  11. CSU
  12. BSU

I see a three-team race for the title with UNM, UNLV and FSU. The way the Lobos are playing now and their experience battling on the road during the non-conference slate gives the Lobos the edge for me.

Match Prediction:

Lobos are the favorite in this match and although I think they should win the match with relative ease, Colorado College has a the potential to be a bit of a nuisance for the Lobos. The key to this match is the first half, for if the Lobos are ahead early, I could see it end up being a 3-0 final. I give the Lobos a 48% chance of winning the match and a 78% chance of coming out with at least a draw. I have the Lobos winning this match 3-1 with goals by Irwin, Lynch and Hinman.

Game Info:

Who: New Mexico Lobos (4-2-2, 0-0-0) vs. Colorado College Tigers (4-4-0, 0-0-0)

When: Friday, September 23rd, 2016, 7:30 PM MT

Where: UNM Soccer Complex, Albuquerque, NM

Stream: golobos.com