The UNM women’s soccer team will host in-state rival NMSU tonight at the Lobo Soccer Complex.
Senior midfielder Alexis Leyba said facing the Aggies is always a tough game.
“There’s obviously that rivalry ... we obviously want to be on top,” said Leyba. “This game is going to be key in just our movement forward from just our past few losses and I think everyone is really excited.”
The Lobos (1-3) are coming off of a 4-0 loss against the No. 7 Florida Gators.
Head coach Kit Vela said she was proud of the way her team played against the elite competition.
“We competed with them,” Vela said. “We didn’t feel (the score) was indicative of the actual game. The second half we came on and actually out-shot them and had some great opportunities.”
Last Friday, the Lobos defeated Loyola-Chicago 4-2 in their home opener. Four different players scored their first career goals as Lobos.
The Lobos have used four different starting lineups and plan to change the lineup again against NMSU on Friday. Vela said finding players who start better than others is a tough decision.
“I think we’re dynamic enough where we could start different players and different roles depending upon who we play against,” she said.
Leyba said it is a good experience in figuring out how everyone plays together. She said it is difficult to get team chemistry because every one of the players has a different personality on the field.
“Honestly, people get to know each other differently and I think that we can all learn from this,” said Leyba. “Our bench is so deep that we need to learn this for future games if someone is hurt or something.”
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
The Lobos have defeated the Aggies four games consecutively since 2010.
NMSU is currently 1-7 on the season and are coming off of a 5-0 loss to Arizona State. The Aggies are on a three-game losing streak. Vela said NMSU has done a good job of building their program the past couple of years.
The Aggies’ only victory this season came against Incarnate Wood, a 2-1 decision. NMSU has been shut out three times this season.
Aggie senior forward Jennae Cambra leads the team with four goals and has one assist. Goalkeeper Tayler Hammack has given up an average of 3.71 goals per game.
The Friday’s game will be the last non-conference game of the season for the Lobos. Conference play will start on Sept. 26 when the Lobos travel to California to face Fresno State.
Kyle Tomasi is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
