Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
ENMU senior midfielder Giani Mascarel looks to find a teammate upfield as a bevy of Midwestern State players surround him during Saturday night's Lone Star Conference men's soccer match at Steve Loy Stadium. The Greyhounds dropped a 2-1 decision to the Mustangs.
For a while this season, it looked like the Eastern New Mexico University men's soccer team was in good shape to make it to the six-team Lone Star Conference postseason tournament, but those hopes have taken a big hit of late.
On Saturday, the Greyhounds played well against second-place Midwestern State, but the Mustangs rallied for a 2-1 victory at Steve Loy Stadium that left ENMU very much on the outside looking in.
With the loss, the Hounds fell to 4-6-6 (2-4-3 LSC). They are tied for ninth place in the balanced 11-team circuit with Lubbock Christian (5-6-5, 2-4-3) heading into tonight's regular-season finale against the Chaparrals at Lubbock, and whoever wins will need help to reach the top six.
Since edging Oklahoma Christian 1-0 at home on October 16, the Hounds have gone 0-3-2. While seventh-place OC (6-8-3, 3-6-1) is done, sixth-place Texas-Tyler would lock up the final spot with a win today at 10th-place Sul Ross State (6-9-1, 2-6-1).
ENMU took the lead against the Mustangs (11-2-3, 6-2-1) when junior forward Ben Sauerlander scored on a cross to the middle from freshman forward Nathan Le Roux. MSU tied it with just seconds left in the half on a tally by senior forward Max Gonzales, and got what turned out to be the game-winner less than four minutes into the second stanza with a goal from sophomore forward Liam Kervick.
Other than Sauerlander's goal, the Hounds managed just two shots on goal in the match. Meantime, ENMU freshman goalkeeper Milo Paci had five stops for the match.
The LSC tournament begins with two quarterfinal tilts on Saturday, both hosted by the higher seeds. The semifinals on Nov. 15 and championship match on Nov. 17 are slated to be played at regular-season league champion St. Mary's in San Antonio.
Women post win – ENMU's women closed out the home portion of their schedule on Monday night, beating Texas-Permian Basin 2-0 with both goals coming in the final 20 minutes.
The Hounds (3-12-1, 2-10 LSC) snapped a nine-match losing streak and scored more than one goal in a match for the first time all season. ENMU improved to 11-7 all-time against the Falcons, including 7-1 at home.
After a scoreless first half, the Hounds broke through in the 70th minute, with senior midfielder Meghann Wingsutton carrying the ball through midfield, beating a pair of defenders and finding junior defender Louis Godden, whose tucked a shot from the left wing just outside the 18-yard box into the top of the net over Falcons sophomore keeper Paula Camus.
They got an insurance tally with about nine minutes remaining after junior midfielder Brisa Franco was taken down just outside the penalty area and senior defender Sofia Trejo poked the free kick into the top left corner of the goal.
ENMU had a 4-2 margin in shots on goal and led 3-1 in corner kicks. Freshman goalkeeper Rosie Willmott Joyce had two saves en route to her third clean sheet of the campaign.
The Hounds wrap up the season on Thursday with a 6 p.m. (MST) matchup at No. 11 Dallas Baptist.
