With two draws and a loss in their last three games, the University of New Mexico men’s soccer team will look to return to winning as they play Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia on Friday, Nov. 3, in their last home game of the season.
Both the Lobos and the Monarchs are in Conference USA. This match will be the last one before both teams head into the C-USA tournament, in which the Monarchs will be playing on home soil.
With only two points in their last three games, the Lobos are now 8-4-4 overall and 3-2-2 in C-USA.
The Monarchs, on the other hand, have had one win and are coming off the back of two consecutive losses. In their previous game, the Monarchs lost 3-2 against South Carolina and are 8-5-2 overall and 5-2-0 in C-USA.
In their last match, the Lobos played North Carolina-Charlotte in a goalless draw that went into double overtime. The last two matches for the Lobos have gone into double overtime, only making the long season seem longer for them.
The Lobos are 171-14-23 when scoring first under head coach Jeremy Fishbein. Looking to gain confidence from this, it will be crucial for the Lobos to get the first goal of the game.
Offensively, the Lobos have scored 25 goals this season over 16 games. Junior and defender Aaron Herrera leads the Lobos in goals scored and assists, having registered five in each of those categories.
Defensively, the Lobos have been solid and conceded only 16 goals this season. Having already registered his fifth shutout of the season, senior and goalkeeper Jason Beaulieu was named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.
Beaulieu received this award having registered two shutouts in the last week against Denver and Charlotte respectively. He is ranked 21st in the nation with 73 saves to his name.
Spearheading the Monarchs’ offense are freshman Brandon Perdue and junior Max Wilschrey, who have scored six goals each this season. Defensively, they have had five shutouts this season. The Monarchs have scored 28 goals this season and conceded 23.
In the series involving both teams, the Lobos hold a 3-2-0 mark over the Monarchs. The Lobos were victorious 2-0 the last time these two sides met each other.
In C-USA, Old Dominion is ranked second with 15 points, while New Mexico is in fourth place with 11 points. Florida International and Kentucky are first and third respectively.
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The previous game saw senior and forward Sam Gleadle return to the starting lineup. The Lobos usually play a 4-4-2 formation, since it allows them to be solid in offense and defence. Herrera played in a more advanced position as freshman Nick Barreiro played in the right-back position.
Still awaiting their seed, the Lobos will next be playing in the C-USA tournament on Wednesday, Nov. 8, in Norfolk, VA.
Ajinkya Patil is a freelance sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers men’s soccer. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @ajinkyapatil_16.
