Pre-season friendly - UNM 1, ND 2

The starting lineup for last night's friendly with Notre Dame listed in the box score as a 4-4-2 although Justin Davis played up front making it more of the 4-3-3 as Fishbein said he'd use. 

Substitutions/times in parentheses.

Chris Wright (Masashi Shibuya-43) - PJ Wilson (Stephen Brown-27/Andrew Parsons-45)

Justin Davis (James Urbany-33) - Lance Rozeboom (Michael Green-29) - Michael Reed - Jack Smithson

Gal Yaar - Zach Tierney - Simon Ejdemyr - Mike Porter (Ryan Farquharson-27)

Eric Staver

Second half lineup and substitutions:

Wright - Urbany (Wilson-55/Farquharson-71/Wilson-82/Urbany-89)

Davis (Shibuya-71/Davis-82) - Rozeboom (Green-78) - Reed - Green (Smithson-62)

Yaar - Tierney - Ejdemyr - Farquharson (Porter-60)

Staver (Justin Fite-60)

Overtime lineup and substitutions:

Wright - Urbany

Davis - Green - Reed - Smithson

Yaar - Tierney (Farquharson-103) - Ejdemyr - Porter

Fite

Full box score

Some observations:

Michael Reed still commits more dangerous turnovers than I'd like but the team's defensive positioning and recovery speed was evident for the most part.

Freshman Michael Green is the real deal. His first touch is stellar whether for himself or as a pass. His size, speed and positioning was very good and he made the team better when he was on. It'll take a bit of time to get completely comfortable with the system and his teammates but his presence excites me a lot. He did have one opportunity when JD put him through to the byline but his service across to the center was not good. Another time he had space at the top of the box and shot just wide.

Freshman Lance Rozeboom was good. He clearly had more familiarity than Green since he entered school in January and played in the spring. He also has size, speed and good ball skills. Excitement with him as well.

Freshamn Gal Yaar played every minute at left back. The job is his! This allows Stephen Brown to be part of the mix up front and in the midfield. Gal was calm on the ball and has the speed and positioning required to keep the defense at a high level. You can see his experience already.

Senior Mike Porter was solid at the right back position, a switch for him this year that allows sophomore Ryan Farquharson (who played every game at right back last year) to move in the mix in the midfield.

Both Notre Dames goals were sitting headers from six yards out. The first coming on a counter attack down the left and the second coming from an overlapping run on the right. Good crosses and good finishes by the ND players.

Notre Dame was not a threat in the first half but was much more assertive in the second half and overtime.

Stephen Brown was taken out in the 45th minute after coming on for PJ Wilson up front and playing 17 minutes. Brown gathered the ball at midfield in a breakaway situation. There was one Notre Dame defender back who challenged Brown at about 40 yards out cynically taking the man rather than playing the ball. It was a straight-on challenge and appropriately a yellow card was given. It was not red only because he did not come from behind to stop the promising break. Brown got up for the ensuing free kick but stayed off to the side. He hobbled for the next half minute before sitting down to stop play and get off the field. He did not come back in.

Zach Tierney's right knee was taken out in the 103rd minute. Not maliciously but definitely taken out. The play was consistently in the Notre Dame end of the field in the beginning stages of the second overtime including a corner kick and a couple of throw ins. As Notre Dame was trying to clear their end the ball was dropped to Zach on the right about 25 yards out. He ran onto the ball to cross it at the same time the ND player ran hard through the ball. Zach's right knee was taken out as he followed through in a violent collision. The linesman watched the whole thing and did not raise his flag and the center referee did not make the call. Zach did not get up. Eventually when play was stopped he was able to hobble off with assistance. We can hope it is just a sprain/contusion that he can recover from enough to play next Friday but that is uncertain at the moment.

Nearly 2,500 in attendance. Very good crowd with a good number of Notre Dame fans. Admission was free with the American Cancer Society taking donations.

Seth Neben not in roster and only three goal keepers warmed up (Staver, Fite, and Rodriguez). Not sure where Freshman GK Justin Holmes was.

Two gimps (I believe they were Euan Holden and David Murphy) during warm ups. Both participated lightly but did not suit up. Holden's leg was wrapped and Murphy had a heavy knee brace on.

Zach grew long hair. He looked so different that I did not recognize him until the team came out with their numbers on. During warm-ups I was wondering who the new player was.

Looks like it's Eric Staver's job to lose now which is what most observers had previously assumed.

YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME!

Lobo pre-season rankings

College Soccer News has the Lobos ranked 19th and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) ranks them just outside the top 25 also receiving votes (28th).

Somewhat disappointing based on the tradition of the last half decade, the 10 returning players and the quality of transfers and freshman coming in.

However, these polls are for discussion and starting points only and will change dramatically as all the schools play their pre-conference schedules. Expect to see a completely different list within just a few weeks of the start of the season at the end of August as some move up and others fall.

The Lobos have a decent strength of schedule and with the success we expect we will see these rankings improve.

Lobo Soccer supports American Cancer Society

Wednesday August 20th the Lobos host Notre Dame in their only exhibition game this year. 

The evening has a second major purpose in addition to getting ready for the 2008 season. The Lobos are teaming up with the American Cancer Society in a variety of ways to raise money and awareness prior to, during, and after the game. The effort is described here on the UNM website.

This is first class and just the sort of thing we have come to expect from the Lobo Soccer Program. Come on out on the 20th to see a great game and support a great cause. 

I lost my sister to cancer two years ago. That's her walking in a cancer survivor benefit (looking at the camera next to her husband in the tan shirt) prior to losing her battle.

MPSF Conference

The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Coaches Poll is out today and once again the Lobos are picked to win it (just ahead of Denver).

http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/stories/080608aai.html

2008 MPSF Preseason Coaches Poll
1. New Mexico - 24 pts. (4 1st Place Votes) - 12-5-2/7-1-2 (1ST/NCAA Tournament First Round)
2. Denver - 22 pts. (2 1st Place Votes) - 10-4-4/6-1-3 (2ND)
3T. San Jose State - 15 pts. - 10-9-0/5-5-0 (3RD)
3T. UNLV - 15 pts. - 7-10-2/3-7-0 (T-5TH)
5. Sacramento State - 8 pts. - 4-13-2/3-6-1 (4TH)
6. Air Force - 6 pts. - 5-12-1/3-7-0 (T-5TH)

The Lobos need for the rest of the conference teams to get some quality non-conference wins in order to have a higher RPI this year. Their relatively low RPI (relative to their poll rankings) the last two seasons have led to them having to travel in the tournament playoffs.

This year we want them to have at least two home games on the way to Frisco, Tx for the final four. So let's have a look at the MPSF teams' schedules and root for the conference to get some good results.

Lobos:

AUG. 29TH FRI San Diego @ Loyola Marymount Tournament
AUG 31st SUN Loyola Marymount @ Loyola Marymount Tournament
SEPT 5th FRI MICHIGAN STATE @ TLC Plumbing & Utility Invitational (Home)
SEPT 7th SUN LOUISVILLE @ TLC Plumbing & Utility Invitational (Home)
SEPT 12th FRI AKRON @ NIKE Invitational (Home)
SEPT 14th SUN CAL POLY @ NIKE Invitational (Home) 
SEPT 19th FRI Portland @ Husky Invitational  
SEPT 21st SUN WASHINGTON @ Husky Invitational  

Denver Pioneers:

Dayton Flyer Classic
Fri, Aug 29 Dayton at Dayton, Ohio
Sun, Aug 31 Wisconsin at Dayton, Ohio
Fri, Sep 05 Loyola-Chicago Pioneer Field
Fri, Sep 12 San Diego State Pioneer Field
Sun, Sep 14 Cal. State-Fullerton Pioneer Field
Sat, Sep 20 St. Louis University at St. Louis, Mo.
Sat, Sep 27 Creighton at Omaha, Neb.

San Jose State Spartans:

Fri, Aug 29 Notre Dame de Namur Spartan Field
Sun, Aug 31 Stanford Spartan Stadium
Wed, Sep 10 University of San Francisco Spartan Stadium
Sun, Sep 14 UC Davis at Davis, Calif.
Thu, Sep 18 Cal Poly Spartan Stadium
Sun, Sep 21 Seattle Spartan Stadium
Wed, Sep 24 Santa Clara at Santa Clara, Calif.
Sun, Sep 28 Cal State Bakersfield at Bakersfield, Calif.

UNLV Rebels:

UNLV Rebel Classic
08/30/08 vs. Jacksonville Las Vegas, Nev,
09/01/08 vs. Radford Las Vegas, Nev.
Titan Tournament
09/05/08 at Cal State Fullerton Fullerton, Calif.
09/07/08 vs. Cal State Northridge Fullerton, Calif.
UNLV Nike Invitational
09/12/08 vs. Gonzaga Las Vegas, Nev.
09/14/08 vs. Oral Roberts Las Vegas, Nev.
BMW/Nike Classic
09/19/08 at San Francisco San Francisco, Calif.
09/21/08 vs. Saint Mary's San Francisco, Calif.

Sacramento State Hornets:

8/29/2008 CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD
8/31/2008 LONG ISLAND
9/5/2008 vs. UC Irvine
9/7/2008 vs. Houston Baptist
9/12/2008 MENLO
9/14/2008 SAINT MARY'S
9/21/2008 at Cal State Northridge
9/25/2008 UC DAVIS
9/28/2008 CAL POLY

Air Force Falcons:

08/29/08 at UCSB Santa Barbara, CA
08/31/08 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA
09/07/08 vs. Loyola Chicago USAFA
09/12/08 vs. Cal State Fullerton USAFA
09/14/08 vs. San Diego State Denver, CO
09/19/08 vs. Navy Birmingham, AL
09/21/08 vs. Army Birmingham, AL
09/27/08 at UC Davis Davis, CA

Time is nearing! 2008 Season on horizon

UNM Athletic Department has release the official 2008 Roster (below). 

Right off the bat we need to say goodbye to a few more fellows since March:

#14 Bryan Sajjadi - 5-6/155 - Midfield - Arlington, Texas
#15 Joel Theissen - 5-7/175 - Midfield - Windsor, New South Wales
#21 Gardner Morrow - 5-10 / 165 - Forward - Shelburne, VT
#24 Charles Conway - 6-1/190 - Defender/Midfield - Albuquerque, NM

Also, according to the official roster we don't get to see Mark Geria (M/D Canberra, Australia) and Anders Selander (D Ulrichehamn, Sweden) that were announced by the University as incoming in the spring. Not sure what happened.

In their roster spots we get Euan Holden (M 6-0 170 Jr-TR from UCONN) and Gal Yaar (D 5-10 165 Freshman) from Aviv, Israel. 

So here's the roster as posted on the official UNM website The principal returnees are in bold. The players that are expected to step into major roles and make immediate impact are in italics. 

No. Name Pos. Ht Wt Yr-Exp. Hometown/Last School

00 Justin Holmes G 6-2 190 Fr-HS Elkhart, Ind.
0 Victor Rodriguez G 6-1 170 Fr-HS Las Cruces, N.M.
1 Eric Staver G 6-1 185 So-1L Portage, Mich.  
2 Mike Porter D/M 6-1 165 Sr-3L Las Cruces, N.M.  
3 Simon Ejdemyr D 6-3 190 Jr-2L Boras, Sweden  
4 Euan Holden M 6-0 170 Jr-TR Sugar Land, Texas (UCONN)
5 David Murphy D 5-11 170 So-TR Grapevine, Texas (Wake Forest)
6 Zach Tierney D/M 6-1 175 Jr-2L Wildwood, Mo.  
7 Justin Davis D/M 6-0 170 Jr-2L Avondale, Ariz.  
9 Stephen Brown D/M 6-0 165 Jr-2L Arlington, Texas  
10 Michael Reed M 6-0 175 So-1L Albuquerque, N.M.  
11 PJ Wilson F 5-11 175 Jr-2L Fort Wayne, Ind.  
12 Chris Wright F 6-5 200 Sr-3L Sacramento, Calif.  
13 Seth Neben M 6-1 155 Fr-HS Lincoln, Neb.  
14 Masashi Shibuya M/F 5-10 160 Fr-HS Scottsdale, Ariz.  
15 Michael Green M 5-10 175 Fr-HS Strongsville, Ohio  
16 Jack Smithson M/F 5-9 145 Sr-3L Chicago, Ill.  
17 Lance Rozeboom M/F 6-1 165 Fr-HS Walker, Iowa  
18 James Urbany D/M 5-9 150 So-1L South Bend, Ind.  
19 Andrew Parsons D/M 6-2 170 So-1L Springfield, Mo.  
20 Gal Yaar D 5-10 165 Fr-HS Tel Aviv, Israel
21 Ryan Farquharson D/M 6-1 180 So-1L Phoenix, Ariz.  
22 Gary Weisbaum M/F 5-10 160 Fr-HS Baltimore, Md.  
23 Dominique Romero M 5-10 155 So-1L Albuquerque, N.M.  
24 Travis Campbell D 5-9 165 Fr-HS Phoenix, Ariz.  
44 Justin Fite G 6-2 175 So-1L Spring, Texas 

Here's my 2007 Re-Cap from earlier in the year.

Soccer City FC - Chris Wright interview

Lance Watson update

Update 2: Lance DNP on Wednesday versus Velez Sarsfield in KC's 3-2 win.

-----------

Update 1: KC Wizards web article

-----------

There's no guarantee that Lance Watson will be back with the big club this year (after playing reserves all of last) but following information like this coming out of the KC Wizards camp it is looking pretty good. He's with the full club in Argentina now on their pre-season tour and played in midfield with most of the starters. Working in his favor, KC has moved to a 3-5-2 formation this year so they need plenty of quality mids.

Anyway Lance scored the lone goal in their 1-nil win in their first game versus Defensa y Justica.

Here's how Hillcrestroad.com reported it: 

7th minute- Lance Watson scores after a nice build-up through midfield. Marinelli unlocks the play with a long switch to an overlapping Michael Harrington up the left flank. Harrington then wins the end line and crosses for Ryan Pore who lays the ball back to the top of the 18 for Watson who had cut in after Harrington's overlap. Watson collected the ball then beat the goalkeeper at the back post for the game's lone goal.

2008 Returning Players

-----------------

Seniors: 44 wins in 3 years - would need an 18 win season to break school record for wins by a class (61 by both '05 and '07)

#2 Mike Porter - 6-1/165 - Defender/Midfield - 3 year letterman - Las Cruces, NM (Las Cruces HS)

I have a substantial exchange (disagreement really) with blogger Albuquerque about Porter in the comments section of the 2007 Re-Cap post below so I won't re-hash it all here. Suffice to say I really like Mike Porter and what he contributes to the club. Porter is a classic defensive central midfielder who is also called upon to play stopper at times. His play in both those roles will be a key for the teams overall success in '08 as defense will continue to be the Lobo's strength and claim to be a final four team. When he's disrupting, holding and distributing in the middle third the team's possession game is at its best and they are the most dangerous/productive.

#12 Chris Wright - 6-5/200 - Forward/Midfield - 3 year letterman - Fair Oaks, CA (Jesuit)

Wright was named the 2007 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Year. He led the MPSF in scoring (28 points) and goals (12). Wright currently has 20 career goals and is tied for seventh on UNM's all-time list. 

I have said that I believe that Chris is mostly an opportunist with medium ability to hold, distribute and create for himself. He's shown improvement going for 2/0; 6/3; and 12/4 goals/assists in his first 3 years. With his strengths and weaknesses he needs to be paired with guys that complement - both upfront and in attacking midfield. Last year we mostly saw him paired with Diego Barrera, PJ Wilson, and Blake Danaher who were not consistently creative, especially against the better clubs. 

#16 Jack Smithson - 5-9/145 - Midfield - 3 year letterman - Chicago, IL (Hinsdale Central)

Jack has been surprising me for three years. He overcomes his slight build with very good ball skills, speed, and tenacity. A solid cog in the team, whether starting or off the bench, Jack will always contribute.

------------------

Juniors: 26 wins in 2 years - this is a great class that will, depending upon their continuing development will make or break the success of the club for the next two years.

#3 Simon Ejdemyr - 6-3/190 - Defender - 2 year letterman - Boras, Sweden (Sven Eriksonsgymnasiet)

Simon played with and learned a lot about being a central defender from Andrew Boyens his freshman year. Together with Tierney and Porter, Simon dominated the middle in 2007. There is nothing to suggest that won't be the case in '08. There is speculation on the blogs that Simon may leave early. I have no way of knowing if this is the case but if he has that in mind then he'll work to be even better in all facets of the game.

Did you notice that Simon takes all the PKs. 

#6 Zach Tierney - 6-1/175 - Defender/Midfield - 2 year letterman - Wildwood, MO (Christian Brothers)

Zach is another great player out of the St. Louis area. The "stopper," he is key to the central strength of this team with Porter and Ejdemyr. He has the strength and speed to match up with the opposition's best offensive players. Zach also has great ball skills and instincts. With him also we have heard speculation of an early departure.

#7 Justin Davis - 6-0/170 - Defender/Midfield - 2 year letterman - Avondale, AZ (Westview HS)

Can't help it - JD is my favorite player for two years running! As a freshman he played left back and moved forward into left attacking midfield as a sophomore where he produced 13 points (5 goals and 3 assists). Watch for a huge year and first team MPSF honors in 2008. It's like he has no fear/no conscience to go along with speed, strength and skills. I think he is destined to be a professional player. 

#9 Stephen Brown - /165 - Defender/Midfield - 2 year letterman - Arlington, TX (James Martin HS)

Stephen moved from midfield as a freshman where he was dangerous going forward to left back as a sophomore. He helped solidify the back with his speed and physical ability. He has good ball skills which makes possession coming out of the back pretty routine. He also is dangerous on the occasions that he attacks from there. I think he is a steady guy who plays system ball.

#11 PJ Wilson - 5-11/175 - Forward - 2 year letterman - Fort Wayne, IN (Canterbury HS)

PJ is a witch with the ball at his feet and he has a great shot. The field is clear for him to have a great junior year statistically - I would not be surprised to see a 10 goal 5 assist campaign from him. PJ has the intangibles you need out of a goal scorer. Combined with Chris Wright some returning players and newcomers I suspect that the problem finishing that hurt the club in key moments last year will be remedied.

#24 Charles Conway - 6-1/190 - Defender/Midfield - Transfered in for sophomore season from Arizona Western JC - Albuquerque, NM

Did not play in 2007. I don't know much about Charles. Anyone have info?

#14 Bryan Sajjadi - 5-6/155 - Midfield - Arlington, Texas (James Martin HS)

Played only 83 minutes up front in 2007 after playing 325 in '06. Diego Barrera coming in for his senior season probably had something to do with that but couldn't have been the only reason. He was fit all year as far as I know. Brian has very good soccer pedigree out of Texas. He has skills and grit but is small in stature. Size by itself is not an excluding factor for soccer players but it is something that has to be overcome. It will be interesting to see if Brian gets to see more of the field in '08. We'll be watching.

------------
Sophomores: 12 wins in 1 year - only Reed (a redshirt) and Farquharson played significant, crucial minutes in 2007. Others will need to step up to continue the clubs winning ways in the next few years. Who's it going to be?

#00 Justin Fite - 6-2/175 - Goalkeeper - DNP in 2007/Redshirt in first year - Spring, TX (Klein Collins HS)

Will compete to replace four year starting goalkeeper Mike Grazcyk. May have a leg up now that fellow redshirt sophomore Eric Staver has undergone shoulder surgery. Will have to compete with two incoming keepers (see previous post) as well as Staver.

#00 Eric Staver - 6-1/185 - Goalkeeper - Played 75 minutes in 2 games in 2007/Redshirt in first year - Portage, MI (Portage Northern HS)

The only GK not named Graczyk to see action in the past couple of years. Will compete with Fite and two newcomers to replace MG. Needs to overcome off-season shoulder season. I don't have any specific insights on how the GK situation will shape up in 2008. Will be looking on with interest.

#10 Michael Reed - 6-0/175 - Midfield - Played 741 minutes in 17 games in 2007/Redshirt in first year - Albuquerque, NM (Sandia HS)

There's no doubt that Michael has Division 1 talent and is local favorite but I'm not sure where he best fits in. He saw most of his time in the middle spelling Porter or David G. It always appeared to me that this was a down-grade. Michael has skills in the attacking half of the field and he's a sturdy guy but I'm concerned by 3 things I saw regularly: unforced turnovers, poor positioning, and lack of speed. That said he made improvement as the season progressed on all fronts and I began having more confidence in him when he was on the pitch. He's a big question mark for me.




#15 Joel Theissen - 5-7/175 - Midfield - DNP in 2007 (Redshirt?) - Windsor, New South Wales (AIS)

Joel was inactive all year. Not sure if he was redshirted or not. Don't know much about him. Any info?



  

#17 Ryan Farquharson - 6-1/180 - Defender/Midfield - 1 year letterman - Phoenix, AZ (North Canyon HS)

Ryan started and all 19 games at right back as a freshman as part of the stalwart Lobo defense. He played the third most minutes on the club behind only defense mates Simon and Zach. What I like about Ryan (and Fishbein's system) is that he is a back with ball skills in a system that works to build from the back. Ryan has speed, size and good positioning. I expect him to continue his development as part of one of the nation's best defenses. 

#18 James Urbany - 5-9/150 - Defender/Midfield - Played 130 minutes in 8 games in 2007 - South Bend, IN (St. Joseph's HS)

I don't know much about James. His limited time on the field in 2007 was rarely in crucial times. 

#19 Andrew Parsons - 6-2/170 - Defender/Midfield - Played 98 minutes in 6 games in 2007/Redshirt in first year - Springfield, MO (Glendale HS)

I don't know much about Andrew.

#21 Gardner Morrow - 5-10 / 165 - Forward - Played 89 minutes in 6 games in 2007/Redshirt in first year - Shelburne, VT (Champlain Valley HS)

I don't know much about Gardner but I do have positive recollection about his limited time on the pitch. He may be one to watch in the mix up front in 2008.

#23 Dominique Romero - 5-10/155 Midfield - Played 121 minutes in 6 games in 2007/Redshirt in first year - Albuquerque, NM (La Cueva HS)

I don't know much about Dominique either. As I said the sophomores this year are mostly a question mark. Every team in the nation has the same situation where guys will work hard to get in the action and make a difference and then we'll spend a lot of time talking about them. Others will fade away.

Jamie Clark to coach at Harvard

Former UNM and Notre Dame Asst. Coach Jamie Clark will take over the Harvard program. Clark spent 3 seasons with the Lobos ('02-'04) under Jeremy Fishbein. Prior to his arrival at UNM, Clark played three seasons with the San Jose Earthquakes (out of Stanford) - Tolstoy

What I'm working on next...

-------

Update 3:

Completed the 2008 returning players post on March 1st

-------

Update 2:

At some point I'd like to take a look at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, team by team. Appreciate you dropping any insights, links, etc into the comments - Tolstoy

-------
Update 1:

2007 Re-Cap done - see below, comments welcome - Tolstoy

-------
I've got drafts started on the following topics:

-returning players for 2008 - COMPLETED
-new recruits for 2008
-2007 re-cap - COMPLETED
-2008 outlook

feel free to use this thread on any of these topics or anything else not covered in previous posts - Tolstoy

2007 RECAP

------------

Update 5:

More from reader albuquerque at comment #3 and my replies at #4 and #5 - cross posted from Big Soccer dot com

------------

Update 4:

If my math is correct Blake Danaher, Mike Graczyk, David Gualdarama and Joey Vitagliano, as a class, tied the '05 team seniors with a school record 61 wins in 4 years...

------------

Update 3:

reader albuquerque wrote - "2007 is a complete bust without the stellar defensive duo in the middle in the back. Also, relying on C. Wright isn't going to get in 2008. Finally, I would like to see Fish allow the boys a bit more possesion. They basically hold it for one, two or three passes, then hit the long ball. I would prefer more possesion when warranted. There style was very predictable, therefore somewhat boring in my mind. I understand they have a system, but appears too rigid to me. That is a reflection of the coach apparently from what I am told."

Thanks for the post - there is no question that the relative success of the season (that it wasn't a complete bust) was due in large part to the defense. In my mind it is no mistake and goes beyond Simon Ejdemyr and Zach Tierney who are stellar. There is clearly a commitment to the defensive system and 2 other quality players (Sophomore Stephen Brown and Freshman Ryan Farquharson) with size, speed and ball skills; a decent goalkeeper; and mids that track back and perform their defensive role. The center was good all the way through midfield with Mike Porter and David Gualdarama working well with Simon and Zach. 

Chris Wright is mostly an opportunist with medium ability to hold, distribute and create for himself. He's shown improvement going for 2/0; 6/3; and 12/4 goals/assists in his first 3 years. With his strengths and weaknesses he needs to be paired with guys that complement - both upfront and in attacking midfield. We mostly saw him paired with Diego Barrera, PJ Wilson, and Blake Danaher who were not consistently creative, especially against the better clubs.

One productive development in '07 was the move of sophomore Justin Davis from left back as a freshman to attacking left-side midfield where he produced 5 goals and  3 assists. At times he was the most dangerous player on the field.

Finally, I'm a 'system' guy so I think I differ from you on your final thoughts... 

Comments?

------------

Update 2: 

Gaucho fans, I don't mean any disrespect. I love your team, the way you play, and rooted for their run to the championship in '06. I was just struck by the consistency of their unsportsmanlike (read-punches) reactions during the two matches in Albuquerque in September. I have it from a reliable source that SMU regretted the 'error' of scheduling UCSB. Just saying...

------------

Update 1: 

The UNM Athletics Department has not yet posted their 2007 Season RE-CAP but they do have Season Stats up. Kudos to the Department for a very informative site with great archives...

-----------------
Original post:

Well, I've been batting this one around for awhile now...

12-5-2 overall (7-1-2 in MPSF play; 6-2-1 at home, 5-3-1 away and 1-0-0 on neutral field) - The Lobos won the sixth MPSF regular-season title in the past seven years and lost an away game to UCLA in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Did this season live up to expectations (reasonable and highest)? Here's how I recollect it followed by my analysis.

After two losses in exhibition matches in Fort Wayne, IN (3 nil to Notre Dame and 1 nil to Indiana) Coach Fishbein had done his tinkering and was ready for the full season which started with three weekend tournaments. starting in Akron the Lobos lost to the host Zips 3-1 on Friday before rebounding for a 3-1 win over Hartwick College. Back on home soil the following weekend the Lobos again lost Friday (1-0 to Loyola Marymount) and won Sunday (1-0 over Cincinnati). Local fans got a good look at the 2007 edition of the team. They played hard and played for each other but despite being very solid in their third and encouraging in the middle third they lacked creativity and production in the attacking third. The opposition was not strong, the Lobos were clearly superior but the results were mediocre. LMU had one legit chance all night on Friday - a direct kick from 30 yards that Graczyk seemed ill-prepared for as he watched it rip the back of the net.

All eyes in the nation turned to Albuquerque on September 14th weekend as SMU, Washington and the defending National Champion UCSB Gauchos came to town. The Lobos continued the trend of the season by losing Friday night to Washington 1 nil and then turning it around Sunday with an excellent victory over the Gauchos 2-1. The Washington game was very even. Kevin Forrest (who is joining Graczyk in Denver trying to make the Rapids squad) finished a nice header on one of those sequence of plays you see develop over 70 yards and just know will hit pay dirt. Despite outshooting the Huskies 21-11 and doubling them up in corners (8-4) the finishing problem was the story for the Lobos. After seeing the action against much weaker competition the previous weekend I was encouraged by the play if not the result. I was optimistic when leaving the stadium that the boys would rebound well against UCSB. I knew they'd have to play tough and stand their ground against the Gauchos who appeared to use thuggery as a tactic to complement their pool of excellent players when beating SMU in the early match. The Lobos backs were against the wall at 2-3-0 and facing the then 9th ranked team. It was an excellent game in front of an excellent crowd and we got what we came for when Diego Barrera scored the game-winner in the 82nd minute. Afraid to report that the Gaucho thuggery I witnessed Friday night continued Sunday with at least two malays breaking out - one spilling onto the field and involving both head coaches.

So they're 3 up and 3 down after three weeks and a major question mark - for us and on the national scene. I saw much to be optimistic about that weekend though - this bunch was tough, afraid of nothing and willing to battle for 90 or more minutes. The boys would lose only 2 of 13 games and allow just 7 more goals from there on out. After a two game roll through California the boys were 5-3 and appeared to be solidifying their half of the field and finding the finishing touch beating Cal State Northridge 4 nil and San Francisco (12th ranked at the time) 2 nil. Five players scored the six goals, with only Chris Wright doubling up on the trip.

The Lobos did as expected when they won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title again in 2007 at 7-1-2. Only University of Denver were serious challengers as has been the case of late. The results:

10/05 Tie 1-1 vs. Denver
10/07 Win 6 nil vs. Air Force
10/12 Win 4-1 at San Jose State
10/14 Win 1 nil at Sacramento State
10/20 Win 2-1 vs. UNLV
11/03 Loss 2-1 at UNLV in 2OT
11/09 Win 3 nil vs. Sacramento State
11/11 Win 5-1 vs. San Jose State
11/16 Win 2 nil at Air Force
11/18 Tie nil nil at Denver

A few notable things from league play. The inverse scheduling putting Denver as first and last game set up the only excitement for the league. Because Denver was able to grab a point in ABQ despite being outplayed throughout the the October match the Pioneers had their destiny (and ours) in their hands at home on the last week of the season. I contend that this should never have been the case but may be a microcosm for the season. The Lobos were pretty damned good but not special. They took care of business in league play except for the opening day tie (never should have happened) and 'one of those games' in Las Vegas when, despite dominating all night, were beaten by Lamar Neagle in the second OT. All of a sudden Denver is in the driver seat in early November. When the final tilt arrived the Lobos played conservatively in Denver and got their point back and won the title. Ugly but they were in the big dance.

There was alot of speculation about whether or not UNM would have gotten in as an At-Large if they did not pull that point on November 18th. I don't think so. Their RPI was quite low even though they were a ranked team. It's the RPI that put them in the bottom 16 of the 48 teams in the tournament and bought them a road game in the first round. Everyone figured they'd be going west again in 2007 like the previous year. Sure enough they drew UCLA in the first round. If you recall the Bruins were barely eligible for consideration with a .500 record but that didn't stop pundits from making them the 'team nobody wants to face'. For my part I had no problem having our boys go out there. By then we knew they could play with anyone and feared no team. Tough, talented and well organized in the back. The key was going to be finishing opportunities.

Just after Thanksgiving the Lobos took on the Bruins but could only manage 8 shots (1 on goal) in a 1 nil loss. They only gave up 11 shots - the game winner coming in the 89th minute on a free kick from just outside the box. It was not a 'brilliant shot', having dribbled along the ground before finding the corner of the net. Bad wall placement? Either way there was no time to recover and suddenly the season was over. BTW- obviously the NCAA doesn't seed based on revenue 'cause the mighty Bruins drew only 625 fans to the game - we would have been able to do 8-10 times that number in Albuquerque.

So did this season live up to expectations? For me - no. For the guys I'm sure it didn't. We've all become used to huge win totals and runs into the tournament. Four seniors Blake Danaher, Mike Graczyk, David Gualdarama and Joey Vitagliano were multi-year contributors (with recognition) on some of the best teams in the country and transfer Diego Barrera, the fifth senior, came in for a reason. These guys and returnees at every starting spot except center back (Andrew Boyens) could not have been satisfied with going backward, if only slightly.

What happened? For me it's a one word answer - finishing.

I love(d) watching this team play. The guys are great and Coach Fishbein has built an incredible program. My time and money is well spent in following this bunch and while I may have been disappointed with the way the season ended I was never disappointed with the boys or their effort. Cheers to the five departing players and best of luck in your future endeavors - on and off the field.

We'll get 'em next year!

Status of recently departed players

We're all curious about the status of the players that have contributed to this wonderful program. We want to know what they're doing, where they are and if they are playing. Use this post to make updates - Tolstoy

2007

Diego Barrera - 5-7/155 - Midfield - Thousand Oaks, CA - Played Senior year after transferring in from Loyola Marymount

Current Info:






Blake Danaher - 5-9/155 - Midfield/Forward - Mesquite, TX - 4 year letterman

Current Info:






Mike Graczyk - 6-1/170 - Goalkeeper - Albuquerque, NM (La Cueva HS) - 4 year letterman

Current Info:
Graczyk Taken by the Colorado Rapids in the MLS Supplemental Draft





David Gualdarama - 5-9/155 - Midfield - Waianae, HI - 4 year letterman

Current Info:






Joey Vitagliano - 5-8/145 - Midfielder - Scottsdale, AZ (Horizon HS) - 4 year letterman

Current Info:






------
2006

Andrew Boyens - 6-4/180 - Defender - Dunedin, New Zealand - 3 year letterman

Three-year starter and anchor of the Lobo defense since 2004...Scored 11 goals and six assists in his three seasons at UNM...Excellent in the air and a very physical player who knew how to use his 6-4 frame to his advantage...Three-time All Far West Region and three-time 1st Team All-MPSF team member...Two-time MPSF Player of the Year...First Lobo to win two conference player of the year honors...Invited to the 2006 MLS combine...Member of the New Zealand full national team in the offseason, traveling on two foreign tours.

2006 - Senior Season
Preseason All-American who lived up to the hype earning a spot on the Hermann Trophy Semi-Finalist list...Scored two goals and three assists in 19 games on the year...Led the Lobo defense to 11 shutouts and a 0.64 g.a.a., both ranking among the best defensive totals in the nation...named the MPSF Player of the Year for the second time in his career...also earned a spot on the All Far West Region 1st Team ...ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI.

Current Info: Toronto FC of MLS and New Zealand Men's National Team the "All Whites"

Lars Loeseth - 5-10/170 - Midfielder - Oslo, Norway - 2 year letterman

Came to UNM as a member of the highly-ranked Lobo ski team...Joined the soccer team in the spring of 2005 and was so impressive he was put on a soccer scholarship...Four-time All-American skier...Led the Lobo ski team to the school's first NCAA championship as a freshman in 2004...Has been a part of three of the four most successful teams in Lobo history (2004 Ski Team - 1st in NCAA, 2005 Soccer Team - 2nd in NCAA and 2006 Ski Team - 2nd in NCAA)...Crafty left-sided player who is excellent on the ball...Scored four goals and seven assists in his career...Named the 2006-07 Mountain West Conference Male Student-Athlete of Year despite playing two sports (men's soccer and skiing) that are not a part of the MWC.

2006 - SENIOR SEASON
Two-sport star, scoring one goal and two assists for the soccer team and earning his fourth All-American honor for the ski team...Moved to left back where he excelled for most of the season...Missed six games during the year due to the death of his father in Norway...Scored the game-winner in a 1-0 overtime win at home against American...Named to the CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American At-Large Team, Academic All-District team and Academic All-MPSF.

Current Info: Look for Lars skiing in Norway and Sweden

-----
2005

Ben Ashwill - 5-8 / 150 - Albuquerque, NM - Defender - 4 year letterman

Four-time All-MPSF player earning second-team in 2005, honorable mention in 2003 and 2004 and 1st team in 2002...Tied for 8th all-time at UNM with 19 career goals...Moved from forward to defender as a junior...earned numerous academic awards with his 3.80 g.p.a. in Business Management...four career game-winning goals...Only three-time Academic All-American in school-history...One of only two freshman All-Americans in school history...83 career games is tied for most all-time at UNM.

Current Info:

Erik Bagwell - 5-10 / 162 - Portland, OR - Midfielder/Forward - 4 year letterman

Four-year letterwinner who was a part of the 2005 class that won 61 games, the most in school history...Scored 12 points on five goals and two assists in his career...Three time academic All-MPSF...Played in 65 career games with 17 starts...Logged 1,751 minutes as a forward.

Current Info:

Josh Brown - 6-2 / 180 - Portland, OR - Defender - Played 1 year after transferring in from Portland

Transferred to UNM from Portland prior to the 2005 season...Played one year for UNM but had a tremendous impact, leading the Lobo defense to a school record 13 shutouts in 2005...Played against the Lobos in the 2004 NCAA Tournament second round game at the UNM Soccer Complex on Nov. 23...Saw 90 minutes of action in UNM's 4-1 win...Went to the NCAA Tournament all four years of his collegiate career...Taken in the fourth round (45th overall pick) by the Colorado Rapids in the MLS SuperDraft.

Current Info:

Brandon Moss - 6-1 / 185 - Albuquerque, NM - Midfielder - 4 year letterman

Team leader and one of the most talented players in the West...Tied for the all-time lead in games played and started at UNM with 83...Ranks second in minutes played (7,507)...All-MPSF selection every year in a Lobo uniform and three-time All-Region player...Also a three-time Academic All-MPSF honoree...One of only two freshman All-Americans in school history.

Current Info: Drafted and played for Columbus Crew of MLS - according to Wikipedia he announced his retirement in January 2008 - knee injury?

Jeff Rowland - 6-1 / 175 - Albuquerque, NM - Forward - 4 year letterman

Left UNM as the most decorated player in school history...Went from a non-recruited walk-on to a Hermann Trophy Finalist during his four years...Lived up to the hype as a senior after being named Preseason All-American by CollegeSoccerNews.com and Soccer America...Excellent student who has a 3.76 g.p.a. in Marketing...Only two-time All-American in school history...Ranks third in points (104), second in goals (45) and shots (239) and ninth in assists (14) on UNM's all-time list...Has five career goals and three assists in NCAA Tournament play.

Current Info: 

Released from Real Salt Lake 2008 pre-season camp in February.

From John Koluder, RSL Media Relations - "Jeff Rowland was invited to our preseason camp as a non-roster invitee, but was released from the group after our first camp in Southern California earlier this month.  It is very unfortunate that he couldn't make it on, as he's had unfortunate ACL injuries (and surgeries) each of the last two seasons and has been working hard to get back to the field. We certainly hope he'll be able to catch on somewhere and resume his career and would certainly keep an eye on his progress, as we do hold his MLS rights after he started last season on our actve roster."
 

Lance Watson - 5-6 / 150 - Nederland, TX - Midfielder - 4 year letterman

One of the top playmakers on the team during his four-year career...Second only to Jeff Rowland in scoring during his four years at UNM...Ranks sixth in points (66) and goals (22), second in assists (22), and fourth in games played (81) and shots (179) all-time at UNM...Became the seventh All-American at UNM after earing multiple honors in 2005...Chosen with the fourth pick of the second round (16th overall) of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft by the Kansas City Wizards.

Current Info: Kansas City Wizards - played on Reserve Squad most of 2007
Seeing time with the club in pre-season training in Bradenton according to Hillcrestroad

Lance scores in preseason action in Argentina

Matt Wootton - 6-1 / 170 - Colleyville, TX - Defender - 4 year letterman

Mainstay at left back during his four year career...Started 72 of the 80 games he played...Tied for fifth in games played and sixth in games started on UNM's all-time list...Two-time Academic All-American who graduated with a 3.89 g.p.a. in Management...Scored eight points on eight career assists.

Current Info:




-----
Prior to 2005 - See Lobo Soccer History - Records and All-Time Lettermen 

Open thread / say hello

Update 2:

On February 10, 2008 8:13 AM josh asked...
"Do we know if all of the recruits [minus Murphy] will have all four years of eligibility available? I know sometimes the international guys don't get all 4."

I posed the question 'do the international players Mark Geria and Anders Selander have 4 years or fewer?' to the UNM Athletics Department and Jay Blackman, Assistant Director - Media Relations replied that they have 4 years each - Tolstoy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mark Geria - 6-0 - 155 - Midfielder/Defender - Canberra, Australia (AIS)
Skilled left-footed player who joins the Lobos from Australia...trained and studied at the prestigious Australian Institute of Sport from 2005-06...Has twice been invited into the Australian U-23 Olympic team player pool...Personal...Born May 24, 1986.

Coach Fishbein on Mark Geria:
"Mark is an experienced, athletic player who is very dynamic in the attack. He has competed at the highest levels in his country and that experience will help him with his transition to the collegiate game."


Anders Selander - 5-10 - 175 - Defender - Ulrichehamn, Sweden (Sven Eriksonsgymnasiet)
Left-footed defender who joins the Lobos from Ulrichehamn, Sweden...reunites with youth teammate Simon Ejdemyr who will be a junior for the Lobos in the fall... played for IF Elfsborg's youth teams, one of the best youth teams in Sweden...finished third in Gothia Cup in 2005, the biggest youth tournament in the world...played 15 games for Sweden's youth national teams...Personal...Born March 21, 1987, Anders is the son of Reino and Agneta Selander...has two sisters, Elin (25) and Mailin (23).

Coach Fishbein on Anders Selander:
"Anders has had tremendous international experience and has grown up in a highly competitive soccer environment. He has the athleticism and soccer skills to immediately impact our program."

-------------------------------------
Update:

On February 9, 2008 8:42 PM bigkicker said...
"Murphy got hurt at a recent training session and Staver to undergo surgety for shoulder. Thats why you recruit big numbers."

Thanks for the post bigkicker. Murphy enrolled this semester after transferring from national champion Wake Forest. No news on the nature or extent of the injury. Justin Fite from Houston is the other remaining keeper and the new recruiting class has two new ones (Justin Holmes and Victor Rodriguez). We'll definitely keep an eye on these developments - Tolstoy
----------------------------------------------------------------------

David Murphy - 5-11 - 170 - Defender - Grapevine, Texas (Wake Forest)
Transfer from Wake Forest University for the spring 2008 semester and is currently training with the team...will have three years of eligibility remaining at UNM...Saw action in six games for the NCAA Champion Demon Deacons last season...was a redshirt in 2006...Four-year letterwinner at Carroll Senior HS for head coach Greg Oglesby...all state and district 5-5A MVP as a senior... played club soccer with the Dallas Texans with current Lobo Stephen Brown...helped the Texans capture three straight state, region and national championships from 2005-07... served as the team's captain and also captured the Golden Boot at the 2005 National Club Championships -- the award for the Most Valuable Player of the entire tournament... member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes program... Personal...Born in New York, New York on October 20, 1987...son of Ken Murphy and Donna Saenz.

Coach Fishbein on David Murphy:
"David is a natural leader. He captained the most successful youth club team in this country's history. We feel UNM is the perfect fit for David and he is going to blossom as a leader and player here."


Eric Staver
Position: Goalkeeper
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Portage, Mich.
High School: Portage Northern HS
Height / Weight: 6-1 / 185
Birthdate: 06/07/1988
Experience: Played at least twice behind Graczyk as Sophomore (Redshirted as Freshman)
High School
Four-year letter winner at Portage Northern HS in Portage, Mich...Two-time Division I all-state, all-district and all-region team member...Member of the 2004 Michigan Dream Team...2004 defensive MVP...Was also Academic All-State as a senior.
Club
Played club soccer for Vardar from 2003-05...2005 Region II Champion and 2004 State Cup Champion.
Olympic Development Program
OPD Region II Team member from 2004-06, playing several international tournaments...State ODP team member since 2002.
Personal
Born June 7, 1988, Eric is the son of Rick and Peggy Staver...He has one brother, Jason (21)...Member of the National Honor Society...Wants to be a pre-med major at UNM.


Justin Fite
Position: Goalkeeper
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Spring, Texas
High School: Klein Collins HS
Height / Weight: 6-2 / 175
Birthdate: 09/18/1987
Experience: Sophomore (Redshirted as Freshman)
General Information/Career
Attended the 2005 Lobo Soccer Academy where he caught the eye of the Lobo coaching staff...Led his club team to the South Texas State Cup over the summer...As one of four keepers on the team, will have to battle for playing time...Last named is pronounced "fight".
High School
Four-year letter winner at Klein Collins High School in Spring, Texas...2006 all-state and all-region...2006 District 14-5A Goalkeeper of the Year...Honorable mention all-district as a sophomore.
Club
Played club soccer for the Houston Texans FC 87/88 Red Team...2004 CASL Shootout Finalist, U.S.Y.S.A. Region III champs and national semifinalist...2005 Disney Showcase Finalist and U.S.Y.S.A. Region III semifinalist...Four-time U.S.Y.S.A. State Cup champion.
Olympic Development Program
Member of the S.T.Y.S.A. '87 state pool in 2003 and 2004.
Personal
Born Sept. 18, 1987, Justin is the son of Keith and Robin Fite...Has an older sister, Britni (23), and an older brother, KJ (21)...Has not decided on a major.


Justin Holmes - 6-2 - 188 - Goalkeeper - Elkhart, Ind. (Elkhart Central HS)
2007 Northern Indiana Soccer Player of the Year at Elkhart Central High School in Elkhart, Ind...runners up in the state championships each of the last two seasons...spent the summer playing with the Indiana Invaders of the PDL with current Lobo James Urbany...participated in the USL/ODP national camp and select team...Personal...Born Oct. 12, 1989.

Coach Fishbein on Justin Holmes:
"Justin is a great athlete and a talented keeper. He will be fighting for playing time with three other keepers who are all looking to replace graduating senior Mike Graczyk. He has an incredible enthusiasm for the game and his work ethic is going to push our entire team."


Victor Rodriguez - 6-1 - 170 - Goalkeeper - Las Cruces, N.M. (Las Cruces HS)
2007 NSCAA High School All-American keeper at Las Cruces High School in Las Cruces, N.M...New Mexico 5A Player of the Year...captained Las Cruces High School to the 5A state championship...1st team all-state, all-district and district player of the year as a senior...played for the New Mexico Strikers 91 club team...New Mexico ODP 91 Team Captain...led his ODP squad to a second place finish at the 2008 regional championships...Personal...Born Feb 12, 1991, Victor is the son of Lucina and Ismael Rodriguez...he has six brothers and two sisters.

Coach Fishbein on Victor Rodriguez:
"Victor continues our tradition of bringing in the top players from the state of New Mexico. He was the only NSCAA All-American in the state this year and we wanted to make sure he became a Lobo. He will be competing with three other keepers for time between the pipes."

Why this blog?

I'm a fan of this team. I searched for information and opinion apart from the official website for UNM Sports and found very little. Big Soccer dot com has a great college and amateur section where someone named  HakanGS started a thread in September of 2006 but nothing like I hope this page becomes.

What I'd like to create here is a place for fans to discuss all things Lobo Soccer and share their perspectives, insights, photos, etc. I hope too to provide a place for coaches and players to share their unique perspectives and interact with their fans. 

So, if you stop by, please post, even if to say hello. If you see the boys home or on the road leave a report and interact with others. If you talk to Coach Fishbein at a local eatery let us know what he's thinking . If you know something or want to know something post it.

We'll  see what happens...