Air Force Academy
New Mexico
Falcons Shutout by New Mexico, 4-0
10/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 5, 2008
New Mexico scored two goals in each half and Eric Staver notched his second shutout of the season as the Lobo men's soccer team defeated Air Force, 4-0, Sunday at Cadet Soccer Stadium. With the victory, New Mexico improved to 4-4-2 overall and 1-1 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, while the Falcons fell to 3-7 and 1-1 in league play.
New Mexico dominated the game from the opening kickoff and took a 1-0 lead less than four minutes into the game when Jack Smithson sent a corner kick into the box that deflected off Air Force defender Ryan Robinson and snuck past Falcon goalie Jim Gullo. The Lobos kept on the pressure, collecting premium scoring opportunities throughout the first half. UNM held a 10-6 advantage in total shots and had seven shots on goal, compared to two for the Falcons.
Chris Wright gave the Lobos a 2-0 advantage in the 28th minute when he fired a rocket from 22 yards out that beat Gullo near post. Wright collected the ball from a Falcon defender just outside the goalie box and put away his third goal of the season.
UNM's Simon Ejdemyer made it 3-0 with a header off a corner kick from Justin Davis that sailed over Gullo's outstretched arms and into the net, and Masashi Shibuya scored the game's final goal in the 89th minute. The Lobos ended up with 17 total shots and 11 on goal, while Air Force had eight total shots and three on goal.
Staver made three saves for New Mexico and Gullo had seven for Air Force.
The Falcons entered the game shorthanded as junior Steven Noller, the team's leading scorer and owner of a goal in each of the previous four games, missed today's game to attend his grandmother's funeral.
Air Force returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 11 when it hosts the University of Denver at 7 p.m.
