The match of the day on the opening day of the Conference USA Tournament was, without question, the match between the Lobos (10-6-2) and Kentucky. The Lobos twice found themselves down a goal and twice were able to respond with an equalizer within a couple of minutes. The Lobos were able to get goals from Sam Gleadle and Nick Rochowski to end the match in a 2-2 draw. Since it was in tournament play, it went to the always-tense penalty shootout. Coach Fishbein put in backup goalie and PK specialist Ford Parker for the shootout. What Parker ended up doing is one of the most impressive feats I have seen, saving 4 of the 5 attempts and allowing the Lobos to win the shootout 2-1 to advance to the semifinals. It is strange to say that the man of the match was someone that didn’t actually play a second of the match.
Tournament Seeding:
- Charlotte 7-1-0
- South Carolina 5-2-1 (Lost 2-1 to ODU)
- FIU 5-2-1
- Kentucky 5-3-0 (Lost 2-1 in Penalties to UNM)
- UNM 4-3-1
- UAB 2-5-1
- ODU 2-5-1
The only big surprise was ODU knocking off South Carolina to advance to the semifinals against FIU. If the Lobos are able to beat Charlotte on Friday, you have to like the Lobos chances of winning the tournament.
Up Next:
The Lobos season continues with a huge match against the Charlotte 49ers (12-2-2) for a spot in the championship match on Sunday. A win would give the Lobos a good chance of winning the tournament and receive that auto bid to the NCAA Tournament. A loss against Charlotte would hurt their chances of making the tournament, as they would have to play the waiting game to see what happens in other conference tournaments.
In the first meeting against Charlotte, the Lobos lost the road match 2-1, allowing both goals on penalty kicks. The Lobos need to be careful in this match in the final third making sure that they don’t foul. The Lobos have the talent to play and beat this very good Charlotte side, but it will be a matter of making the most of any opportunities they get and being connected in the backline.
Tournament Schedule:
Semifinals Friday:
#1 Charlotte vs. UNM winner 2:30 PM
#3 FIU vs. #7 ODU 5PM
Finals Sunday:
Semifinal winners 12PM
Prediction:
This should be a very exciting and well-played match between two very talented sides. The question for me is how does Charlotte attack this match? They are locked into a national seed with a first round bye in the NCAA Tournament and I don’t know if they can get a top 4 seed, which would give them home-field advantage to the College Cup. I see this match going the full 90 minutes with the match very much in question. Another overtime match or even another shootout wouldn’t surprise me. I give the Lobos a 30% chance of winning, and a 60% chance for a result before the shootout. I have the Lobos winning 2-1 with goals from Niko Hansen and Chris Wehan.
Match Info:
Who: New Mexico Lobos (10-6-2) vs. Charlotte 49ers (12-2-2)
When: Friday, November 11, 2:30 PM MT
Where: Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia
Stream: conferenceusa.com (subscription required)