New Mexico women’s soccer didn’t have many scoring opportunities but applied the defensive clamps to garner a 1-0 home victory over Fresno State Friday night.
The two squads played to a dead heat in the first half, with neither team finding the back of the net. Fresno State mustered just two shot attempts, while New Mexico doubled that output with four attempts in the opening period.
Head coach Heather Dyche seemed to suggest her team has a knack for adjusting to opponents and finding ways to rise up when things get tough.
“I think that our team this year is gritty,” Dyche said in a release. “When we get tested, we respond. I think that is on the field and off it. Every single kid who steps on has a chance to be impactful and it’s different kids in different games. It makes us hard to scout.”
UNM goalkeeper Emily Johnson got some early work, recording a save off a Fresno state shot in the 13th minute of the game. It was the only time her team would need her services, though, as the Lobo defenders stymied the Bulldog attack for the rest of the match.
Fresno State logged three more shot attempts in the game, but none of them were on goal as Johnson recorded her sixth clean sheet of the season.
For New Mexico, Eileen Zendejas had her shot blocked from inside the box, and Jenna Killman was unable to put through a header.
Perhaps the best scoring chance of the first half came off a shot from Amelia Bierle in the 29th minute, but Fresno State goalkeeper Nicole Theroux was able to make the save.
Isabella Jimenez also had a shot toward the end of the first half, but the attempt sailed wide left of the goal and the teams went into halftime tied at 0-0.
New Mexico (9-4, 4-1 MW) finally broke through when senior Claire Lynch netted an unassisted goal at the 52:34 mark. Fresno State’s Theroux was unable to clear the ball after it ricocheted off the post, and Lynch capitalized with the goal.
All five of Lynch’s goals on the season have proved to be game-winners, something her head coach didn’t appear surprised about.
“Claire knows the score in practice. Claire knows the score if you are just playing some dumb game on the bus,” Dyche said. “She’s just competitive. She knows how to kill a game, and she knows how to win a game. She’s willing to do it. It’s scrappy, fighting goals for Claire most of the time, and that’s not easy to do. It’s something you expect from a senior like Claire, and it’s awesome to watch her do it.”
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
The eventual game-winner left the Lobos to a 1-0 victory and put New Mexico alone atop the Mountain West standings, one point clear of Air Force (6-4-2, 3-0-2 MW).
According to a release, it was the Lobos sixth-straight win at home. New Mexico also cracked the top 100 of the NCAA Women’s Soccer RPI rankings, coming in at No. 97.
New Mexico outshot Fresno State in the game 7-4 and held a 5-4 advantage on corner kicks.
Up next, the Lobos will host San Jose State on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. before hitting the road for a pair of conference road matches.
Robert Maler is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers basketball, football and tennis. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Robert_Maler.
