Mitchell Lobetos
Staff Writer
Last Wednesday Sept. 30, the Dons (2-9) traveled to New Mexico to take on the New Mexico State Lobos (6-2-1). With only eight games left, including the New Mexico game, the Dons were looking to turn the page on their 2-8 record and finish the season strong. Unfortunately for them, The Lobos proved to be too much and powered home three goals while the Dons were unable to muster up one.
From the opening kick the Lobos kept the Dons in the defensive third for most of the opening ten minutes. USF was able to get two quick shots off within the eleventh minute, but New Mexico was imposing and threatening through the first 30 minutes. After 13 minutes, the Lobos had fired three shots of their own and earned one on a corner kick. In the 18th minute New Mexico’s Chris Wehan smashed in his eighth goal of the season off a cross through the box. The next ten minutes were still all New Mexico, as one more shot and two more corners kept USF pinned in their own third. In the 29th minute the Lobos found their second goal thanks to an assist by Josh Goss to Simon Spangenberg. Spangenberg notched his first goal of the season and an impressive one at that. The New Mexico substitute fired a 35 yard screamer from straight on that found the inside of the top left corner. To make matters worse going into the half, New Mexico was assisted with a goal by USF, as a cross deflected off a San Francisco defender and made its way past the keeper. A halftime deficit of 3-0 seemed like a climb the Dons couldn’t make.
In the second half the Dons found a little more space and were able to take six second half shots in comparison to the four they had in the first half, but none of them found the back of the net. By games end, only four of San Francisco’s 10 shots were on target. New Mexico continued to up the pressure with eight second half shots until the Dons’ defense stiffened up to halt the halftime score of 3-0 until the whistle. The Lobos finished the game with 17 attempts, seven of which were on goal.
USF will continue their season in hopes of finishing with a .500 record this Sunday Oct. 11 in Santa Clara against their WCC rivals, the SCU Broncos. Keep up with a live stat stream on usfdons.com.
Photo courtesy of Dons Athletics
