The New Mexico men’s soccer team looks to finish strong with two matches remaining before the Conference USA tournament gets rolling.
The Lobos will finish their regular season with two games in Albuquerque, where they are currently undefeated with a 6-0-1 home record.
New Mexico (8-6-1, 2-3-1 C-USA) is hosting the No. 25 South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday. With a 9-5-1 overall record — 4-1-1 C-USA — the Gamecocks are second in the conference standings.
South Carolina was at the top until Wednesday night when it took a 2-1 loss to the No. 8 Charlotte (10-2-1, 5-1-0 C-USA).
South Carolina outshot Charlotte 11-7 and held an 8-5 lead in corner kicks, but Charlotte led where it really counted.
The 49ers got an early lead four minutes into the match with a goal by Maxi Rodriguez. South Carolina’s Bjorn Gudjonsson found the equalizer in the 60th minute. The Gamecocks lost the game after Matej Dekovic scored the 49ers’ second goal during the 76th minute.
The victory allowed Charlotte to climb into first place in the conference with 15 points, while South Carolina fell to the second spot with 13 points.
The Lobos had a successful Wednesday night, when they traveled to Alabama and brought home a 1-0 win over the UAB Blazers. The victory bumped the Lobos up two spots, settling into fifth in the standings with seven points.
“Important result,” said UNM head coach Jeremy Fishbein. “It validated that we are a good team.”
Although South Carolina is a ranked opponent and one of the most successful teams in the conference, Fishbein said his players will not approach the Gamecocks any differently than they would other squads.
“They are all good teams,” he said. “We are going to focus on being disciplined, not giving them chances. Pretty much like we would do with any other opponent.”
Last year, the Lobos lost to South Carolina 2-1 in overtime during the regular season, but that match was in Gamecock territory.
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Later that fall, the Lobos once again fell to the Gamecocks, this time 1-0 during the first round of the conference tournament on a neutral field in North Carolina.
The last time the Lobos hosted South Carolina was in 2014, when New Mexico took the match 2-1.
Statistically, the Lobos and the Gamecocks are not very far apart when it comes to the offense. South Carolina has recorded a total of 201 shots, and 24 goals. The Lobos have created a few more opportunities with 220 shots, but have recorded two less goals than the Gamecocks.
Senior midfielder Danny Deakin leads his east coast team with seven goals, while senior forward Niko Hansen is the top scorer for the Lobos with nine goals.
New Mexico has slightly stronger defensive numbers, allowing opponents just 13 goals on 141 shot attempts. South Carolina has allowed its opponents 169 shots and given up 16 goals.
The Lobos came back from Alabama on Thursday night and with only two full days back in Albuquerque, every second of recovery will help them for Sunday’s match.
Fishbein said this match will not be an easy challenge but that it’s something his team can definitely handle.
“I think we will be ready,” he said. “Actually, I know we will be ready.”
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.
