The Lobos (7-5-0, 1-3-0) continue their road trip Wednesday night, looking to get back on track in their last non-conference match against a great Denver (12-0-2) squad that is highly ranked in every college soccer poll. The former conference rival of the Lobos in the MSPF have become a great program the last couple of years, including going undefeated last season and thus far this season. The Lobos have a chance to get their groove back with this match and this is their last chance during the regular season for a great win. It won’t be an easy match for the Lobos, but the pressure will be on Denver to continue their undefeated season. It will be very important for the Lobos to find chances early in the match for Niko Hansen and Chris Wehan, as well as Devon Boyce, Sam Gleadle and Luke Lawrence if they are in the starting eleven. While the Lobos have struggled on the road so far this season, the only disappointing result based on pre-match expectations was the match against FAU, so you have to think that the Lobo backline will want to get back on track after allowing two goals against FAU.
Thoughts on Lobo Football’s win vs. Air Force
A week after getting crushed at home by a tough Boise State squad, the Lobos were sitting at 2-3 and heading out of town to face what was probably the toughest opponent remaining on their schedule. Needless to say, it looked like they were in a bad place. However, rather than choosing to stand by and let their season collapse around them, the Lobos picked themselves up and played their best game all season to beat the Air Force Falcons 45-40. They’re now 3-3 on the season, including 2-1 in conference play, and are starting to look like the team we were hoping they would be going into the season.
Men’s Soccer at FAU Match Preview
The Lobos (7-4-0, 1-2-0) return to action on Saturday with a road match at FAU (3-6-1, 1-2-0). This is a very important match for the Lobos, as a win would keep them in the running to win the conference regular season title. If the Lobos are able to win this match and their match at Denver on Wednesday, a national seed in the NCAA Tournament is still very much in play with only one road match remaining before the conference tournament. The Lobos have more talent than FAU, but the Owls have played much better at home than on the road this season, so the Lobos can’t take them lightly. The Lobos need to put pressure on FAU early in the match and find a goal in the first 60 minutes to put all the pressure on FAU to find a goal.
Football vs. Air Force Game Preview
Coming off of a beating at the hand of Boise State, the Lobos will look to regroup this weekend when they play Air Force in a neutral game in the Cotton Bowl. Last year, the Lobos won a wild one against the Falcons, 47-35, and I have a feeling that this game will be similarly high-scoring.
Men’s Basketball is Worth Getting Excited About
The Lobo Howl is this Friday, which means that we are oh-so-close to seeing the Lobos take the court again. This team has a couple of legitimate stars, a lot of returning players, and some talented newcomers, which makes me feel like they have a real shot at returning to the NCAA Tournament this year. So it’s a little weird to me that it doesn’t feel like there’s the same level of excitement for this coming season as what I typically see from the fan base. Maybe that’s to be expected after a couple of relative down years, which have tempered some expectations, but I think this has the potential to be a very exciting year of Lobo Basketball. Here are a few reasons why:
Men’s Soccer at Charlotte Preview
After getting two home wins in the last week, the Lobos (7-3-0, 1-1-0) head east to Charlotte (6-2-0, 2-1-0) for the biggest conference match of the season for both sides. The winner of this match will have a great shot at winning the Conference USA regular season title as well as a national seed for the NCAA Tournament. For the Lobos, this is a huge opportunity to get the huge road win that has escaped them so far this year. They have lost three heartbreakers against three nationally-ranked teams, each by the score of 1-0. What was heartbreaking about those three matches is that the Lobos gave up goals in somewhat fluky ways, as the games against Indiana and Notre Dame were each won by a penalty kick, and Kentucky scored on a missed-hit strike that worked wonders. The Lobos are extremely talented and are capable of not just staying with the Charlotte side, but could even outplay them by a good margin. The question will be can they find a goal or two to win the match? Opportunities will be limited in this match, so it is imperative to make the most of any chance that you get. Niko Hansen or Chris Wehan need to do something special to put the Lobos out in front in this match and give the Lobos the huge road win.
Women’s Soccer at Nevada Preview
The Lobos (5-5-2, 1-3-0) continue their road trip this weekend with a two-match swing against the two Nevada teams. First up for the Lobos is a Friday night date with the Nevada Wolf Pack (4-7-0, 1-3-0) in Reno. The Lobos need to win this match, as a loss could put the Lobos in a very tough spot for the conference tournament. The Lobos should be able to win this match, but the Wolf Pack will test the Lobos offense by packing the backline. If the Lobos are able to get an early goal, it could leave the Wolf Pack scrambling and could make this end up being a 3-0 win. The pressure will be on the Lobos until they score a goal, but then all the pressure will be put on the Wolf Pack. It will be important for Claire Lynch and Maddie Irwin to find a goal in the first 55 minutes of the match, or this match could get dicey for the Lobos.
Football vs Boise State Game Preview
Coming off a bounce-back win against San Jose State, the Lobos now turn their attention to their toughest opponent on the schedule: Boise State. The Broncos have gotten off to a good start already this year, going 4-0, and have dreams of making a BCS bowl. On top of that, they’re not thrilled about what happened last year, when the Lobos rudely went into Boise and took away a 31-24 victory. That win was thought to be program defining, but another win against the Broncos this year could have an even greater effect. Hopefully University Stadium will be rocking on Friday night to help them out.
Thoughts on Lobo Football’s Win against SJSU
The Lobos snapped a two-game losing streak this past Saturday with their win against the San Jose Spartans. Even though the Lobos never trailed in the game, it still felt like an up-and-down affair, with the Lobo offense taking advantage of a weak Spartan defense to build leads, but the Lobo defense letting the Spartans get back into the game. Ultimately, the Lobos came away with a 48-41 win to move to 2-2 on the season, including a 1-0 record in conference play, and we came away with a few thoughts:
Men’s Soccer: LMU Match Preview
The Lobos (6-3-0, 1-1-0) take a break from Conference USA play with a non-conference match against LMU (6-4-0) tonight at the UNM Soccer Complex. While this match doesn’t affect the conference championship race, it does have impact on their quest for a national seed for the NCAA Tournament. LMU have a chance to give the Lobos a real challenge and this isn’t a game where the Lobos can just show up and win. It will be interesting to see how the two sides match up against each other, as both teams aren’t offensive powerhouses, but the Lobos are a great defensive team and LMU is a good defensive team. This game will be decided by which team can have players make a great effort in the final third and punch in a goal or two. As is the case with any match against the Lobos this season, the expectation will be a low scoring match unless the Lobos have an offensive explosion.