The No. 5 seed Lobos will begin their tournament season today as they face the No. 4 seed and Conference USA host, Old Dominion.
Head coach Jeremy Fishbein said his team is ready to play, especially after its 2-1 victory over South Carolina last Friday.
“We are excited. We’ve been playing very well. I think we played some of our best soccer against South Carolina,” he said.
But the Lobos (11-5-1, 4-4-0 C-USA) are not the only ones who ended their regular season campaign with a confidence booster.
The Monarchs (9-6-1, 4-3-1 C-USA) picked up a win of their own on Friday night, defeating the Florida International Panthers in a match that went into double overtime.
ODU held the lead until a goal in the 87th minute by FIU’s Quentin Albrecht that tied the game and forced the match to go past regulation time. However, the Monarchs were able to get back on top to achieve their 3-2 win.
When the Lobos met Old Dominion earlier this season, the Lobos recorded a 4-0 shutout against the Monarchs.
“They are a good team, and I’m sure they are going to give us everything they’ve got,” Fishbein said.
When the two teams met, the Lobos had the home field advantage. This time, it’s the Monarchs’ turn. With a tournament title on the line, the stakes are a lot higher than before.
“There are no ties. You either win or you don’t,” said senior captain Mathew Gibbons.
Fishbein admitted there will definitely be more pressure tonight. But he also said the Lobos have played a lot of big games and know how to handle this kind of pressure.
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From the beginning of the regular season, the Lobos have made it a habit to focus on one game at a time. Of course, the conference tournament is no exception.
“Old Dominion is a big enough challenge for us to think about,” Gibbons said.
If the Lobos defeat Old Dominion, their next challenge would be the No. 1 seed of the conference, Charlotte.
By topping the lead standings, Charlotte (14-2-1, 6-1-1 C-USA) earned the only bye of the tournament and will not have to play until Friday’s semifinals.
When the Lobos faced the 49ers earlier this season, they were shut out 2-0. Charlotte outshot the Lobos 18-10, but the Lobo defense held on strong through most of the game. A late pair of goals in the 85th and the 86th minute handed Charlotte the victory.
Despite some low points in the season, the Lobos have had many high points. Gibbons said his team is ready to be entering the tournament with confidence and high expectations.
“We plan to win it. We are not traveling all the way there to not come back with a victory,” he said.
Isabel Gonzalez is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @cisabelg.
