LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The New Mexico Highlands soccer team plays a pair of games for its 2014 home opening weekend as it welcomes in West Texas A&M Thursday (Sept. 11) and Eastern New Mexico Saturday (Sept. 13). Both games are set for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Perkins Stadium.
Ride the America One Wave All soccer games in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and select road conference games (at the discretion of the away institution) will be available through America One. You can access it by clicking
here. Soccer fans can buy an All-Sport pass with access to all Highlands sporting events for $125. Individual games are also available for purchase for $8 dollars apiece.
Also new this season will be live stats through Highland's web provider, Sidearm. Live stats can be accessed by clicking
here. Game updates will be available through twitter while Instagram will have photos available from game day. The New Mexico Highlands twitter feed is @NMHUcowboys and Instagram is NMHUathletics.
A New Season under the Lights With two games under their belt, a 4-0 win over Texas – Permian Basin and a 4-0 loss to Angelo State, the Cowgirls sit .500 and look to make waves in their season-opening weekend.
Thus far in 2014, Highlands has started freshman
Sarah Beecher between the posts. Beecher is 1-1 on the year in goal with five saves and a shared shutout.
"Sarah is a good, athletic keeper," head coach
Justin Wagar said. "She still has to work on communicating. For a freshman to be the starting goalie and in a leadership position, that is a challenge for anybody. A role of talking and communicating is a role that she has to grow in to as the season goes on."
Communication at goalie is key, and it shows that much more as Highlands lost goalkeeper
Nikita Rivera from last season. In two seasons at goalie, Rivera played in 24 games and was 9-6-4 with 79 saves. She was also a part of six shutouts.
"Nikita did a great job for us the last two years because she was so vocal and confident, 'Shift here, direct here, do this!' Wagar explained. "Sarah is still quiet and needs to find her voice so her teammates respond to her. I think she will get it: it is just a matter of when that she will step into that role."
Battling Sarah for the starting spot is senior
Nadia Ruiz, who is coming back from dealing with injuries, played in the first two games while junior JC transfer
Ashlyn Bruin looks to break into the lineup at goalie.
At the defender positions, Highlands has the luxury of returning junior
Allison Jordan, who has been a two-year starter for the Cowgirls.
"I feel Allison is one of the best 1v1 defenders in the RMAC," Wagar stated. "She is consistently good at breaking down her feet and using the body. She works hard, has a good attitude, has a good GPA and is a good player to have on the team. In her career, she has started every game where she is healthy."
Another defender is junior
Victoria McNary. However, she is a JC transfer who is still adjusting to the college game.
"Victoria is new to Highlands at another key position as our sweeper," Wagar explained. "She is getting used to the speed at the NCAA level. She was a two-year starter at the JC level for a playoff team, but she is getting used to the physicality and how fast the NCAA plays. I think she'll continue to make the adjustment."
Coming back from battling injuries last season is junior
Clarissa Estrella, who had a few starts in 2014. Also in the backline for Highlands is junior captain
Molly Enenbach, freshman
Malia Maack and junior
Stephanie Longtine. "These players have been key to our defensive line thus far," Wagar said.
In the midfield, Highlands will have the luxury of returning junior
Nicole Millar, who tallied two goals and four assists for the Cowgirls last season.
"Nicole has not played yet this season and we look for her possible return this week," Wagar explained. "We need her as she is great at attacking, dribbling and dishing out assists."
Highlands will have additional help at the position with senior captain
Alyssa Saucedo and junior
Molly Enenbach. The experience continues on the left outside as the Cowgirls will have the services of three-year starter
Jasmine Waugaman from Ohio.
"Jasmine is speedy, fast and athletic, scoring our first goal this season," Wagar said. "She will be key for us in the midfield as she is a great defender, a hard worker and a smart player."
Other players at midfield include freshman
Ashley McBee, junior JC transfer
Rainey Pelzel and freshman
Megan Finney.
"Ashley is a gifted athlete and very speedy up and down the field. As the year goes on, she will learn when to speed up and when to slow down in our system of play," Wagar explained. "Because of injuries, Rainey has needed to play a role in two different positions so far this season.
"Megan can shoot with both feet but she can hit a rocket with a left as she is left footed.
Hannah Loftus is also a key player who is getting some minutes," Wagar added.
Finally, freshman
Hannah Loftus has played in 36 minutes thus far in 2014.
Last, but certainly not least, the forwards look to have a big season in 2014. Leading the charge is sophomore
Anyssa Dagnino, who is the leading returning scorer for the Cowgirls. In 2013, she started 25 games and had seven goals and two assists (16 points).
"Anyssa already scored our second goal of the season to give us a little bit of padding against Permian Basic and almost tied the game against Angelo State," Wagar said. "She had a 1v1 with the keeper and got stuffed."
On the other end of the scoring spectrum is junior
Crystal Schuder. She did have four goals, but found her niche as she set up eight goals for the Cowgirls in 2013.
She finished in the top-4 in the RMAC in assists last season.
"We need to continue to see good things from Crystal. She must attack and has the potential to be one of the top-4 scorers in the conference," Wagar stated.
Freshman
Mallory Bostic has already made a name for herself in 2014 as she had a pair of assists in the first game and led the team in shots in the second game.
"Mallory is gifted athletically as she had a couple of assists in the season-opening win. She can take players on 1v1 and has a good strong leg," Wagar explained.
Other players at forward include sophomore
Danielle Acuna and freshmen
Hannah Dahlquist and
Zoey Hooper. "Every girl who steps out there is key," Wagar said. "We have a couple girls out with injuries and coming back. In order to be successful as a team, we need to have depth and continue to grow. We have 12 freshman and three sophomores.
Added Wagar: "We have a young team so hopefully, week by week, we get stronger and more mature and adjust to the demands of college soccer."
Last Weekend: The Cowgirls had a mixed opening weekend as they defeated Texas – Permian Basin 4-0 but fell to Angelo State 4-0.
All four goals against Permian Basin were scored by a different Highlands player while Waugaman leads the team in points as she also added an assist. In game two, the Cowgirls outshot Angelo State in the first half.
"Against Permian Basin, it was a good sign that we scored goals not just from the forwards, but also from the midfield," Wagar said. "We do not just have one player that teams can load up on and shut us down. We also had many double assists against Permian Basin because we did a good job of moving the ball from side-to-side in the second half. That is a positive sign."
Wagar hopes that the Cowgirls will learn from the slow starts in both games going forward.
"Hopefully from this past weekend, our team took from the games that we cannot come out flat and expect to win. Angelo State was a better team and so they were able to beat us to every 50-50 ball, so we sat back, got pushed around and fell behind early."
This weekend will be key as Highlands' looks to make a push for the NCAA tournament. West Texas A&M and the Cowgirls were involved in a scoreless tie last season. Eastern New Mexico and Highlands have not faced off for three years.
The Cowgirls beat West Texas A&M 2-0 in Canyon, Texas, in 2005.
"We have to get at least a win but a win and a tie would be big as these are both in-region opponents," Wagar explained. "We need to have points if we want a shot at an NCAA at-large bid."
Calling all Las Vegas Soccer Youth The New Mexico Highlands women's soccer team is pleased to announce that its home opener Thursday (Sept. 11) against West Texas A&M is Las Vegas Youth Soccer Organization (LVYSO) night. Any youth soccer player in the Las Vegas area wearing their jersey will get in to Perkins Stadium for free. Coaches that show up in their coaching shirt also get in free.
"We are pleased to be able to do this for our home opener on Thursday against a great team in West Texas A&M," Wagar said. "Hopefully, we get a great turnout from our fans and the youth of Las Vegas can root us on to victory."
Scouting West Texas A&M The Buffs are 0-2 on the season and have failed to score a goal in two road games, but those results can be a little misleading. West Texas A&M lost to 16th-ranked Metro State 2-0 in Denver, Colorado, last Thursday before being tripped up at #9 Colorado School of Mines in Golden last Saturday.
However, West Texas A&M should not be taken lightly as all four goals were surrendered in the second half last weekend.
The Buffs are led by Jessie Thomas, who leads the team in both shots (five) and shots on target (two). McKynzie Zick has played all 180 minutes in goal this season and has seven saves on 11 shots.
Scouting Eastern New Mexico The Zias continue their non-conference tour of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with their fourth-straight game against the conference to begin the season. Losing one goal heartbreakers to both Western State and Regis, Eastern New Mexico rebounded with a 2-1, come-from-behind win over Adams State Wednesday (Sept. 10).
The Cowgirls would be best served by having a fast start against Eastern New Mexico. The Zias have been outscored 4-1 in the first period, but are outscoring their opponents 4-2 in the second half.
Maurisa Jones and Alyssa Ponce leads Eastern New Mexico with two goals apiece while Melissa Moxley has the other.
Alexandra Ortic is 1-2 on the year between the posts and has 11 saves in 17 shots faced.
Next Up The Cowgirls open up conference play next Wednesday (Sept. 17) when it travels to Pueblo, Colorado, to take on CSU-Pueblo. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
