Tuesday, February 12, 2008
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
Monday, February 11, 2008
What I'm working on next...
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Update 3:
Completed the 2008 returning players post on March 1st
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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
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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
Sunday, February 10, 2008
2007 RECAP
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Update 5:
More from reader albuquerque at comment #3 and my replies at #4 and #5 - cross posted from Big Soccer dot com
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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...
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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?
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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...
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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...
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Original post:
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!
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!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
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:
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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
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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:
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
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:
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Prior to 2005 - See Lobo Soccer History - Records and All-Time Lettermen
2007
Diego Barrera - 5-7/155 - Midfield - Thousand Oaks, CA - Played Senior year after transferring in from Loyola MarymountCurrent Info:
Blake Danaher - 5-9/155 - Midfield/Forward - Mesquite, TX - 4 year lettermanCurrent Info:
Mike Graczyk - 6-1/170 - Goalkeeper - Albuquerque, NM (La Cueva HS) - 4 year lettermanCurrent Info:
Graczyk Taken by the Colorado Rapids in the MLS Supplemental Draft
David Gualdarama - 5-9/155 - Midfield - Waianae, HI - 4 year lettermanCurrent Info:
Joey Vitagliano - 5-8/145 - Midfielder - Scottsdale, AZ (Horizon HS) - 4 year lettermanCurrent Info:
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2006
Andrew Boyens - 6-4/180 - Defender - Dunedin, New Zealand - 3 year lettermanThree-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 lettermanCame 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
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2005
Ben Ashwill - 5-8 / 150 - Albuquerque, NM - Defender - 4 year lettermanFour-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 lettermanFour-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 PortlandTransferred 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 lettermanTeam 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 lettermanLeft 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."
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 lettermanOne 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
Matt Wootton - 6-1 / 170 - Colleyville, TX - Defender - 4 year lettermanMainstay 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:
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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
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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
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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."
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...
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