After three straight weekends of playing two games each, both Lobo soccer teams took it a little easy this week with only one match. They made those matches count, however, with the women pulling out a 2-0 win against NMSU in their first home game while the men took to the road to beat UC Irvine 3-1. Both teams are on a roll right now, which is great timing, as conference play starts this weekend.

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Spending last weekend out on the road, the Lobo soccer teams showed a lot of fight against some of the top teams in the country, with each losing tight games against tough opponents. Although both teams are currently saddled with losing records, there were plenty of positives that bode well for the rest of their schedules.

Men’s Soccer

The Lobos (0-2-0) had one of the most interesting, and heartbreaking, weekends that I can recall in men’s college soccer, losing both matches 1-0 with both goals coming on penalty kicks. While the end results were disappointing, this past weekend still feels like a very good start to the season. While results are what you want, the process is still very important, and I saw more positives then negatives. Because of that, I expect a big showing at home against two California schools this weekend.

Positives:

• The Lobo defense was exceptional against two great teams in Indiana and Notre Dame. Going 180 minutes against these two teams without allowing a goal in game action is a great feat.
• The Lobos passing this past weekend was great. There were multiple times during the Notre Dame match where the Lobos were inches away from scoring a goal, thanks to their ball movement.
• The Lobos played an even match with Indiana, the #13-ranked team in the country. It was a match that seemed destined for overtime, but a penalty with 30 seconds left in the game gave Indiana a 1-0 win.
• The Lobos outplayed the 9th-ranked Notre Dame in every aspect of soccer, except the one place that ultimately matters. The Lobos were the aggressing team that put pressure on Notre Dame all match, but once again, a penalty was given against the Lobos in the 42^nd minute that gave Notre Dame a 1-0 win.

Negatives:

• While it’s a trend that I don’t see continuing, simply giving the ref a chance to make a call in the box is something you don’t want to do. Although the handball against Indiana was a little questionable, the foul in the Notre Dame match wasn’t necessary to commit, as the player had no angle and was looking for a foul to go down on. The Lobos defense needs to be smart in the final 18 and force the ref to make a call.
• Despite making several good opportunities with their passing, actually finishing chances was something the Lobos couldn’t do this weekend. The Lobos need to find a way to make the most of their opportunities in the final third, especially against tough competition. Most matches against top teams are going to end with a final score somewhere between 0-0 and 2-1, so getting even one goal in these matches gives you a great chance to get a result.

Players of the Week:

This week there isn’t one player that I want to single out, as the whole backline of Tom Smart, Matt Constant, Nick Rochowski and Aaron Herrera was phenomenal and so was the play of Jason Beaulieu in goal. Because of this they share this week’s award.

Up Next:

Lobos return to Albuquerque for their home-opening weekend to take on Cal State Northridge (Friday at 7 PM) and Cal Poly (Sunday at 6 PM). Make plans to make it to the soccer complex this weekend to cheer on the Lobos to victory.

Women’s Soccer

The Lobos (1-2-0) have the record that most would have predicted after the first two weekends. The Lobos will continue their road-heavy schedule this weekend with two winnable matches, and I think there’s a good chance that they take both of them. Without video feeds for the matches this past weekend, it is hard to tell how the matches played out on the pitch, but one thing we can tell is that the Lobos dominated Pacific on Sunday, winning 5-2. There are some positives and negatives that can be taken from the first three matches.

Positives:

• They showed great fight and heart against Texas Tech and California. Those two matches could have been much worse than the 2-1 and 2-0 finals, but their resilience kept them in the games.
• The Lobos have scored 6 goals so far this season, with 5 different players scoring and the other off of an own goal. This shows that they have multiple players that could potentially score goals on this year’s team, which could lead to a nice, balanced attack.
• Tayler Hammack has played well in the first 3 matches this season in goal, but I wouldn’t be surprised if another goalie gets a look in the near feature. That’s especially true if the Lobos find themselves in a blowout soon. It would be great to have depth at this very important position.

Negatives:

• The Lobos have yet to play a full match without a letdown. If the Lobos want to win the Mountain West Conference, they need to be able to go a full 90 minutes without any lapses.
• The Lobos need to find one or two players that can be consistent goal scorers, both to drive the offense, and to draw the attention of their opponents. If they are able to have two scorers with 7 or more goals, this team has a chance to be a force in the Mountain West.

Up Next:

The Lobos will make a trip up to Weber State (Friday 3:30) and then to Idaho State (Sunday 11 AM). These are two winnable matches that could get the Lobos above .500 on the season. I am excited to see the growth of this Lobo team and am ready for their home opener in a few weeks.