The New Mexico women’s soccer team was eliminated from postseason play after a match wasn't even played.
Unfortunately for the Lobos (8-7-3, 4-5-1 MW), a 0-0 decision between Wyoming and San Diego State on Sunday means that, regardless of what happens during the last day of conference play, the Lobos cannot qualify for the Mountain West Conference tournament.
If goal differential was the first tiebreaker between teams tied in the standings, then it would still be mathematically possible for the Lobos to qualify, but head-to-head competition accounts for the first method of determining who advances in the event of a tie.
Wyoming beat the Lobos head-to-head 3-0 on Sunday, so the Cowgirls would remain above the Lobos in the standings even if they were to finish even on points.
Wyoming is currently resting on 16 points with one game left to play, and the Lobos, along with Fresno State, have 13 points with one game to play as well. At best, the Lobos could reach 16 points, but this would not be enough, because Wyoming will finish with at least 16 points.
If Fresno State ended conference play with the same number of points as the Lobos, they would also finish above UNM in the standings by virtue of its 3-0 victory over the Lobos earlier in the season.
In spite of their elimination, the Lobos will want to finish the season on a positive note.
“We play San Diego State on Friday night, which is our big rival in the conference, and we’re looking forward to hopefully ending the season on a high note,” UNM head coach Heather Dyche said in a release.
San Diego State (8-6-3, 6-1-3 MW), currently third in the conference standings, is undefeated in their last four games. The Aztecs had a tumultuous start to the 2016 campaign, going scoreless while losing their first five games.
Since then, they have been on a strong run of form, conceding few goals and managing to beat some of the best teams in the conference, including Boise State and Utah State.
The Aztecs will be hoping to finish first or second in the conference standings, as both the number one and two seeds receive a bye to the semifinals of the Conference tournament.
It will likely be an emotional night for both sides. This game is San Diego’s senior night, and for the Lobos, this will be the last game for their seniors.
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“It’s an incredible group of young women to be a part of,” Dyche said in a release. “What they do off the field and who they are off the field and the way they represent themselves and the way the community has reacted to them is just a pretty cool thing to be a part of.”
The Lobos have been inconsistent at times this season, but have won three out of their last four Friday night matches. The Lobos are also coming off of a 1-0 win against Colorado State.
Kickoff is on Friday at 8:00 p.m (MT) in San Diego, California.
Matthieu Cartron is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers women’s soccer. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @cartron_matt.
