What started out as a soccer match ended more like a showdown at the OK Corral when UNM finally scored in double overtime for a 1-0 victory on Sunday Afternoon.
Coming off two losses on the road, the Lobos returned to the UNM Soccer Complex determined to keep their undefeated home record in tact.
The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Mountain Lions however looked to ensure that that goal went unrealized.
UNM came out firing right off. With shots and scoring chances early in the match, the Lobos looked as if they would easily come away with a victory.
However, while the Lobos were presented with a number of opportunities to score they could not capitalize. With the first 45 minutes of the match expired the Lobos and the Mountain Lions remained scoreless.
Much like the first half, the second half continued to provide UNM with scoring opportunities. The Lobos, however, were unable to put the ball in the net and at the end of regulation the match remained scoreless. With pressure mounting from both teams it was on to overtime.
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Similarly, overtime for UNM (9-2-0) was marked with scoring chances but the goals simply would not come easily.
Finally, in the 106th minute, freshman Lance Watson capitalized on a scoring opportunity and finished strong by placing the ball in the back of the net. The Lobos indeed would remain undefeated at home.
"I'm pretty excited," Watson said after the game. " I haven't scored a goal at home yet so I'm happy to get that under my belt."
Despite its offensive struggles, UNM Head coach Jeremy Fishbien acknowledged Sunday's victory as a tribute to the talent of his team.
"We found a way to win," Fishbein said. "It was a tough team to play against. We went into the game, you never want to say over confident, but we went in really confident and I think it's pretty clear that we were the superior team. We found a way to win, not the prettiest way, but we found a way to win."
Senior midfielder and team captain Javier Carrasco agreed.
"We created tons of opportunities," he said. "We weren't the best at our finishing today but we found a way to win. We found a way to win and that's what matters in this game.
"When you find a way to win, it is not always the opportunities that you create that you finish but somehow in the last four minutes Lance came through for us and that's what we needed."
The Lobos could also credit the win to superb defense.
UNM's defenders, led by sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Weber's masterful play, kept UC-CS (3-7-0) frustrated and their scoring opportunities to a minimum. UNM kept the Mountain Lions bottled up on offense, only allowing six shots on goal for the game , three of them on goal. Weber sealed the performance by earning his eighth career shutout.
The Lobos take to the road next weekend when they visit Drury University in Colorado Springs on Oct. 13.
The Lobos open Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play at home against San Diego State University on Oct. 20 at the UNM Soccer Complex. SDSU is current;y in the MPSF cellar with a 2-5-1 record.
