A second-half strike gave the Lobos a tough 1-0 loss in their opening match of the regular season against No. 1 UCLA.
This is the second year in a row the Lobos have fallen to the Bruins.
UNM hosted UCLA last year and dominated the field with an 18-3 lead in shots and an 8-2 lead in corner kicks. But the Bruins still managed to pull a 2-1 win.
The Lobos described that loss as “disappointing” and wanted prove themselves this year by getting a win in California. Unfortunately, that did not happen.
“We’re leaving with a little bit of an empty feeling,” UNM head coach Jeremy Fishbein said in a release.
UCLA began attacking early. Just five minutes in, sophomore forward Abu Danladi intercepted a pass at midfield. He ran up the right side of the field and sent the ball toward the UNM goal, but sophomore Lobo goalie Jason Beaulieu stopped the attempt.
This early attack did not shake the Lobos. By the end of the first half, they were outshooting the Bruins 6-4.
The second half proved to be a much greater challenge.
Just a few minutes in, the Bruins began a strong attack and went on to have five corner kicks in a span of only two minutes.
“It was a pretty even game outside of that one spell,” Fishbein said. “We gave up a bunch of corners, but I’m proud of our overall play.”
The Lobos got a chance to take the lead in the 60th minute, when junior forward Niko Hansen received a long through ball from junior midfielder Josh Goss. He took a shot from about seven yards away, but the Bruins goalie, Juan Cervantes, made the save.
Two minutes later, the Bruins got their own chance.
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An initial shot by UCLA was blocked, but freshman defender Malcolm Jones finished the rebound from five yards out, giving the Bruins their 1-0 lead.
The Lobos had a chance to catch up in the 73rd minute, when Goss sent a long cross into the box where freshman midfielder Kasper Kajermo headed it down towards Hansen. The Bruin goalie missed this header, but his teammate, midfielder Grady Howe, cleared it.
Some Lobos said this was a handball, but no penalty kick was awarded to them.
In the 82nd minute the Lobos thought they had another possible handball in the box off a corner, but once again, no call was made.
By the end of the second half, UCLA had outshot New Mexico 11-2.
Fishbein said the Lobos gave themselves a few chances to win the game, but things just didn’t go as planned.
“We have a real promising season ahead of us, but young guys have to play like veterans,” Fishbein said. “There were a lot of positives, but we’re never happy with losing. This program will never be happy with not getting a result.”
The Lobos will play their first two home matches of the season this coming weekend in The Grange & Ashwill Memorial Invitational. UNM will take on San Diego Friday at 7 p.m. and UCSB Sunday at 6 p.m.
Isabel Gonzalez is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @cisabelg.
