Over the weekend, the Lobo Women’s Soccer team (1-1-0) hosted their annual Lobo Invitational. In the opener against San Francisco, the Lobos scored in the 3rd minute of the match, but ended up falling 2-1. In the second match of the weekend against Grand Canyon, the Lobos controlled the match from the first minute and won the match 1-0. While the Lobos had hoped for a 2-0 weekend, a 1-1-0 weekend while playing well is something the coaching staff will take every week. The San Francisco match was played at even terms, with the neither team taking complete control of possession or field position, making the match basically a 50/50 battle. The Grand Canyon match, on the other hand, was played on the Lobos terms and the 1-0 result doesn’t show how well the Lobos played. In the match, the Lobos beat the keeper 3 more times, but hit the post each time, so the score should been at least 2-0 or even 4-0. There are many things that caught my eye over the course of the two matches, mostly positives, and a few things that I would guess the team is going to focus on correcting.

Positives:

• The Lobos have been in attack mode from the very first second of the season. They are always looking to push the ball forward and are spending very little time playing with the ball in the backline. While they only scored two goals in the 180 minutes of action, the Lobos did have a lot of great chances and near chances. In both of the matches, the Lobos found themselves in several situations where they were just one pass away from having a great scoring chance, and I think you’ll see those passes get made in the future.
• I was impressed with the play of the defense during both matches. The first goal allowed was a miss-hit cross that found the back of the net, while the other goal against San Francisco was the lone big mistake made during the 180 minutes of play. The Lobos look to be a team that limits the number of chances their opponents get, which is a good recipe for success.
• I was impressed by the play of Jessie Hix, who has taken over the center mid position this season. Hix was physical, winning balls and controlling the center of the field of play. Her play during the first two matches forced the opponents to move the ball down the sides, which made it easier for the Lobos to defend. If Hix is able to play at this level or better, the Lobos should have a very successful season.
• Each corner kick and deep throw-in constantly puts pressure on the defense. Casey Murphy had what felt like a countless number of great corners and had an assist off one of her corners. Alexa Cabrales and Jessica Nelson looked for deep throw-ins into the box on any throw inside of 30 yards, which effective acted as additional corner kicks. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Lobos score off these sets and soon.
• Claire Lynch and the rest of the attacking players brought great energy and fight in the first two matches. While the attacking players only scored one goal (Lynch), it’s just a matter of time before the Lobos’ attack breaks out.

Negatives:

• I won’t worry too much about this one, but the Lobos struggled to finish their chances in the first 2 matches. I would be much more concerned if they weren’t getting any chances to miss in the first place. I believe that Lynch has it in her DNA to find a goal when it doesn’t seem like there is much of a chance, so I expect to see her be a big part in improving the finishing. This is an area that can fluctuate from week to week, so it will be interesting to see how the attack does this week.
• The Lobos did a good job of winning the first ball, but some troubles that I saw had to do with winning the second and third ball on the long throw-ins into the box. Most of the time, the goal isn’t going to come on the first ball, but the second and third, so there needs to be a priority to win those possible scoring chances. I think another possible solution is to have the throw-ins go to the penalty spot, which could allow for more movement and space while also making the keeper decide if she should come out and get the ball in the air.

NMSU Match Preview:

The Lobos travel down I-25 today to take on in-state rival NMSU. The Lobos have dominated the series, winning all 7 matches played between the two sides. In last years meeting, the Lobos won the match 2-0 and dominated the play, taking 38 shots (17 on goal) compared to the 7 shots (3 on goal) the Aggies took. The Lobos should still have an advantage in this year’s meeting, but NMSU should be a better side than they were a year ago.

NMSU Aggies:

The Aggies (1-0-1) are lead by fourth-year Head Coach Freddy Delgado and are coming off a 5-13-2 season in which they went 2-3-2 in WAC play. In their first two matches of this season, the Aggies beat UTEP 2-1 (2OT) in the opener at home, and had a scoreless draw at Northern Illinois. The Aggies will look to keep the Lobos attack at bay, and I would expect the Aggies to pack in their defense some in this match.

Things to Watch:

• Will the Lobos be able to score an early goal to deflate the Aggies belief in getting a result? In last year’s game, the Lobos didn’t score until the 62nd minute, but quickly scored again in the 64th minute. During the match last year, the Aggies thought they could get a result until the Lobos scored a goal, then the match was over.
• How will the Aggies be able to defend the Lobos corner kicks and deep throw-ins? This could lead to great scoring chances for the Lobos early in the match. I will go on a limb and say the Lobos will score at least one goal from these sets in this match.
• Will the Lobo defense dominate? I don’t know how many good chances the Aggies will have in this match, but I expect Emily Johnson to be up to the task and secure her second straight clean sheet.

Match Prediction:

The Lobos should have control of this match from the get go, and should be considered heavy favorites in the match. The trouble the Lobos could run into is not scoring a goal early in the match, which could lead to added pressure late in the second half. However, I think that Coach Dyche will have the team ready to go and that the Lobos will score early in this match (first 20 minutes). I give the Lobos a 86% chance of a result, and a 57% chance of getting the win. I have the Lobos winning the match 3-0 and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up being 4-0 or 5-0.

Game Info:

Who: New Mexico Lobos (1-1-0) at New Mexico State Aggies (1-0-1)

Where: NM State Soccer Athletic Soccer Complex, Las Cruces

When: August 24th, 5 PM MT

Stream: WAC Sport Network (wacsports.com/watch)