Sometimes following the gameplan and outplaying an opponent doesn’t translate into a victory. Occasionally a team just needs to get a break.
New Mexico could manage to catch whatever it needed in a 2-1 loss to Air Force on Sunday afternoon.
“I just think for whatever reason, we couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net,” head coach Heather Dyche said. “But I wasn’t disappointed in our soccer and I wasn’t disappointed in our effort.”
Dyche said she couldn’t have asked for anything more from her team in UNM’s second consecutive home loss.
The Lobos outplayed the Falcons (5-3-1, 1-1-0 MW) and won almost every single battle other than the final score.
UNM outshot (15-12), had more corner kicks (7-2), committed less fouls (13-11) and had more shots on goal (6-5) than Air Force, but couldn’t manage to put the ball in the back of the net despite the quality looks it received.
In Friday night’s 1-0 loss to Colorado College, the Lobos came out in the first half flat and without a lot of aggressiveness, something Dyche attributed to the loss. However, the head coach was left Sunday scratching her head, with the team having had ample opportunities to walk away with a win.
“I thought we were significantly better, but that’s soccer,” Dyche said. “For some reason we’re just missing that extra grit, or luck, or whatever it is in the box. The only thing I know is that you just keep fighting and at some point it will come.”
Air Force started the game off on its heels, but managed to squeak one by Tayler Hammack, UNM’s junior keeper.
Air Force sophomore Taylor Cobb dribbled her way out of trouble before finding the back of UNM’s net in the 20th minute, setting the tone for the remainder of the game. It was the only shot on goal for the Falcons in the first half.
UNM’s two shots by Annie Wheeler were to no avail.
Lobos junior midfielder/forward Claire Lynch had the most opportunities of anyone in the match, ripping four shots at the Air Force goal, three of which came in the second half of the contest.
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Finally, in the 72nd minute, Lynch scored her fourth goal of the year — tied with Maddie Irwin for most on the squad — off a penalty kick. She was fouled in the penalty box by Jennifer Hiddink, Air Force’s keeper, and was able to capitalize.
“Just finding feet and being able to turn defenders or just find an open space to get into was something that was working really well,” Lynch said. “It just gave me a lot of opportunities.”
Dyche said there were several players that finally came out with a fire that she had not seen in the past few matches. The head coach had nothing but praise for the way Lynch was able to create opportunities, and said it was her style of play which fit the contest’s physical nature.
“Claire’s scrappy. She is a forward’s forward. She likes to be up there,” Dyche said. “She anticipates things well, she keeps people on her back well, she creates chances, and she also finds chances on other people’s shots.”
While Dyche said she likes watching her team battle and get into the intense mindset that many games call for, she said the officials might have swallowed their whistles a few too many times.
“I think a physical game is fine. I actually thought the refs let that game get away a little bit, to be honest,” Dyche said. “I just think there’s some things that happened after the ball, and I don’t like that stuff.”
The whistle didn’t blow a few times, leaving players with open arms — and others on the ground — but it didn’t change the fact that UNM had many opportunities to pull out with a victory.
However, in the late stages, senior defender Kristina O’Sullivan found a pristine time to pick up her first goal of the year.
She too was able to net the ball without needing any assistance to give Air Force the go-ahead goal, and the victory with her shot in the 82nd minute.
Dyche said she predicted that if the Lobos were able to play well and catch some of the breaks that come with high-effort games, the club should have found itself 2-0 to start conference play.
Instead, New Mexico (4-4-2) is 0-2 after the opening weekend. However, Lynch said the Lobos aren’t going to pout over the shaly start and it will add some urgency to achieve some victories on the road.
Dyche also said she doesn’t foresee any problems ensuing UNM’s slow start.
“Our team is pretty blue collar and we realize that if things don’t go your way, you have to just keep working hard,” Dyche said. “I don’t think there’s one kid on this team that’s not going to just keep battling.”
Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
