The UNM men's soccer team will get its first shot for a win at home this weekend after a tough start on the road.
The Lobos have slipped to 2-4-1 after playing in seven consecutive road games to start the season. The Lobos were scheduled to play at the UNM soccer complex Sept. 14 and Sept. 16, but the games were cancelled because of the terrorist attacks.
Head coach Klaus Weber said his team is excited about being back.
"It's definitely a different feeling; you miss home," Weber said. "When you are on the road for four weekends, it's a difficult task. I think the guys responded well and they're playing very good soccer, but there is no doubt that the road takes its toll."
The Lobos will be facing some tough competition today and Sunday when they take on Fort Lewis College and 19th-ranked Air Force Academy.
Weber said he hopes the team is not too exhausted after its recent road schedule. He is counting on a the home field advantage to give the team the boost it needs.
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"At home you may be a little more aggressive, you may be a little more offensive-minded than when you are on the road," Weber said. "On the road, it is crucial when you have the opportunity to score. At home you have more backing from the spectators, you automatically get some more momentum. On the road, you don't."
UNM associate head coach Jeremy Fishbein and assistant coach Shane Huff both have helped lead Fort Lewis to conference titles. Fishbein headed the team from 1992-1998 and grabbed four Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference titles. Huff was the assistant coach for the Skyhawks last season and helped the team win another conference title.
Junior midfielder Marc Laws is looking at this weekend's matches as an opportunity for the team to polish up.
"Everything has been looking really good, we just need to get a little finishing in," he said. "That's what we are looking forward to after all the experience we've had on the road. We want to just bring it home, have our fans behind us and play some good soccer. It feels really good to be back at home."
The Lobos are 4-1 all-time versus Fort Lewis and won last year's match at home 2-0.
Air Force maybe the Lobos' toughest competition this season. The Falcons are one of the favorites to win the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title this year. Although both teams are in the same conference, the game will only count as a non-conference match.
Laws said that playing Air Force at this point in the season will be a good test for the team to measure its ability in conference play.
The Lobos have struggled against the Falcons in the past. The Lobos are 4-13 versus the Falcons, with Air Force winning the last five matches. UNM's last win over Air Force was in 1995, 4-2.
Weber said he feels that the lessons the Lobos have learned on the road are going to help them this weekend.
"What you learned on the road, apply that to your home field and hopefully the balls you lost, the mistakes you made and the little uncertainties you had on the road will fade away at home and turn to your advantages," he said.
Today's game will be at 7 p.m. and Sunday's game will be at 1 p.m.
