Two games, two losses. Both for the same reason.
The Lobos fell 1-0 to the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Sunday, in what was the second loss on the weekend due to a penalty kick, having also fallen to the Indiana Hoosiers 1-0 on Friday.
Statistically, the Lobos took control of the match, owning a total of 18 shots while Notre Dame only recorded six. New Mexico also led in corner kicks, 13 to 5.
UNM head coach Jeremy Fishbein had mixed feelings about the weekend.
"We played really well (Sunday), I'm really proud of these guys," he said in a statement. "We created a lot of chances and dominated the offense, but we made a mistake and they converted on it."
"Two losses is not the way you want to start the season, but I believe in this team. Good things will come."
The match was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET, but was pushed back four hours due to a lighting delay.
When it finally began, Notre Dame applied the pressure early, with Fighting Irish junior forward Jon Gallagher looming dangerously close to the Lobos net just three minutes in. Lobos junior goalkeeper Jason Beaulieu was able to send the ball out.
After a throw-in for the Lobos in the 11th minute, UNM’s Matthew Constant took a header that was saved by Notre Dame’s Chris Hubbard.
Another header came four minutes later, but this time from the Fighting Irish.
The Lobos had a corner kick but were not able to convert, resulting in Notre Dame taking the ball in a counterattack. This led to a header by junior midfielder/defender Blake Townes, but nothing came of it as Beaulieu took back control of the ball before any damage was done.
The lone goal of the night came during the 41st minute.
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Notre Dame’s sophomore forward Ian Aschieris was in the middle of a counterattack and closing in on the Lobos net. As Lobos defenders were attempting to block him, one of them tripped Aschieris and was marked for a foul inside the 18-yard box.
This was the second penalty kick the Fighting Irish received over the weekend, having also received one during their match against UC Irvine on Friday, a match they won 4-0.
Senior defender Brandon Aubrey was assigned to take the penalty, and he made the most of the opportunity.
Aubrey sent the ball straight to the left corner of the net. Beaulieu jumped to the same side and almost made the save, but the ball went only slightly higher than the keeper.
With the win, Notre Dame (2-0-0) won the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament, an event they have felt comfortable participating in over the years. In the tournament's 14-year history, Notre Dame has come out on top seven times.
The Lobos’ efforts did not go completely unnoticed, as defenders Chris Gurule and Aaron Herrera were granted all-tournament honors.
New Mexico, now 0-2-0, will be at home this week to host CSU Northridge on Friday and Cal Poly on Sunday.
Isabel Gonzalez is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. She mainly covers men's soccer and basketball. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @cisabelg.
