UNM women鈥檚 soccer off to best start in a decade
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (BVM) 鈥� It鈥檚 been a decade since a New Mexico women鈥檚 soccer team last reached the national tournament, but that drought could end this spring if the Lobos finish the regular season as strong as they鈥檝e started.
The Lobos are atop the Mountain West Conference with a 5-1 record 鈥� their best start since 2010 when they began 4-0-3 and didn鈥檛 lose until their eighth match of the season. That team went on to reach the NCAA tourney despite losing to BYU in the Mountain West championship.聽
New Mexico鈥檚 current squad saw its normal fall season postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the delayed start to what will be a shortened season hasn鈥檛 seemed to affect the Lobos much. They鈥檝e outscored opponents 17-2 so far with redshirt senior forward Gwen Maley and junior forward Alesia Garcia leading the conference in points. Maley has 13 points on six goals and an assist while Garcia has 11 points on five goals and an assist. Four of Garcia鈥檚 goals came during a historic March 19 performance against Colorado College when she became the first-ever UNM women鈥檚 soccer player to score four goals in a game at home.
Alesia Garcia becomes the first Lobo in 25 years to score four goals in a game. The last Lobo to achieve such a feat was Laurie Hedgedorn at South Alabama in 1996. Lobos lead the Tigers 5-0 with 2 minutes to fulltime.
— Lobo Women's Soccer (@UNMLoboWSoccer)
The Lobos have four games left on their shortened slate of games before the postseason begins. If they are fortunate enough to qualify for the national tournament, they鈥檒l be competing in North Carolina. The NCAA that all 48 women鈥檚 teams will compete in Cary, N.C., and the surrounding areas. Selections for the national tourney will be April 19 with the first round beginning April 27.
